VJ Edgecombe spent two years as a star basketball player at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, twice winning player of the year on Long Island. On Wednesday, June 25, he was selected as the third player in the NBA Draft.
The Philadelphia 76ers were on the clock when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the team selected Edgecombe, a guard from Baylor University.
Edgecombe immediately stood up and hugged his mother, sporting a big smile.
“I’m actually lost for words right now,” Edgecombe’s brother said to ESPN reporter Monica McNutt.
“I’m blessed. It’s a dream come true,” VJ Edgecombe followed her.
“I’m excited to play, I’m ready to get to work, meet the new team,” he later said in a video on the 76ers’ social media account.
The team posted a graphic on Instagram captioned “GOT OUR GUY.”
Edgecombe was born in Bimini, the Bahamas, and lived there until he moved to the United States before ninth grade.
Edgecombe has been an accomplished basketball player, dating back to his high school years. Edgecombe played his freshman and sophomore years in Florida before moving to Long Island to enroll at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville.
He made an immediate impact at LUHI, as he was named the New York Gatorade Player of the Year and the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference Player of the Year as a junior. Edgecombe had 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, helping lead the Crusaders to the state championship.
Edgecombe’s production went up during his senior year, as he averaged 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals. The senior was named to the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game and was seen as one of the top recruits in the country.
The Recruiting Services Consensus Index listed Edgecombe as the fourth-best prospect in the country following his senior year. He decided to enroll at Baylor University while also receiving offers from many top basketball programs, including Duke University, which knocked Baylor out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and Florida University, which won the 2025 NCAA National Title.
Edgecombe was awarded the Big-12 Conference Rookie of the Year and was selected to both the All-Conference and All-Rookie teams. He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists during 33 games.
Edgecombe also made his international debut in Paris, playing on the Bahamas’ basketball team during the 2024 Olympics. He averaged 16.5 points across the country’s four games, ranking third on the team. His 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists were also the second-best on the team during the tournament.
Edgecombe is the second-highest drafted player from the Bahamas, edging out his national-team teammate Buddy Hield, who was selected sixth in 2016. DeAndre Ayton was taken with the first pick in the 2019 draft.
Four players have reached the NBA after attending LUHI.
Bill Chamberlain was the first LUHI alumnus to make it to the league. He played in 78 games between the ABA and NBA from 1972 to 1974.
The New York Knicks selected Reggie Carter with the 27th pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. He played in 135 career games and averaged 3.5 points per game.
Bill Wennington had the longest career by a former LUHI player and is the only other first-round draft pick in the high school’s history. The Dallas Mavericks selected him 16th overall in the 1985 NBA Draft. He played 13 years in the NBA, mainly as a backup center.
Wennington is mostly known from his time with the Chicago Bulls, as he was part of the team’s second three-peat during the Michael Jordan era.
Tyson Ettienne is the only other current LUHI player in the NBA today. He went undrafted in 2022 but made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets last season. He averaged 7.9 points during his first seven NBA games.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote, “While not a perfect fit with what the 76ers presently have on the roster, Edgecombe offers the outstanding long-term upside as a dynamic backcourt creator that was too difficult for Philly to pass on.”
