Latest news with #Baylor
Yahoo
15 hours ago
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VJ Edgecombe's Strong Message After Being Picked by 76ers
VJ Edgecombe's Strong Message After Being Picked by 76ers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers made an NBA dream come true after they drafted VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick. It was a toss-up between him and Rutgers star Ace Bailey. However, the 76ers were more interested in welcoming the former Baylor guard to the organization. Bailey, meanwhile, was eventually drafted by the Utah Jazz with the No. 5 pick. Advertisement Edgecombe had a great workout with the 76ers leading up to draft night. Although ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reported that there was a big of nervousness from the prospect, the front office still loved his workout. Now, all that's left to do is welcome him to the franchise around the Big 3 of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. VJ Edgecombe stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the third Penner-Imagn Images After his name was called, his mother and brother accompanied him off the stage. Edgecombe's family was emotional, especially his mother, who couldn't contain her tears. The NBA talent had a strong message after his selection, expressing his excitement to play for the 76ers. Advertisement "I'mma tell you right now," Edgecombe said. "[I'm] super excited, we came from nothing. We're truly blessed just to be in this position." Longtime journalist David Aldridge revealed on X that 76ers' President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, expressed what the team needs. According to Morey, he believes the bench needs youth and athleticism. He achieved that on Wednesday when they drafted Edgecombe. "After the 76ers' final game of the season, Daryl Morey blamed himself for not building a good enough bench. He said his goal was to make the team younger and more athletic. Gets his shot now at number three, if he keeps the pick," Aldridge posted. Advertisement Edgecombe is one of the most athletic players in the draft and is developing as a shooter. Related: Potential 76ers Prospect Comments on Unusual Pre-Draft Approach This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
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76ers Send Six-Word Message on VJ Edgecombe During NBA Draft
76ers Send Six-Word Message on VJ Edgecombe During NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia 76ers added another guard to their roster on Wednesday after they used the No. 3 pick to select VJ Edgecombe. The former Baylor guard had a promising workout with the organization, which helped him secure the spot on draft night. Advertisement Edgecombe is one of the most athletic young prospects in this year's draft class. During the NBA Draft Combine, he recorded a maximum vertical leap of 40 inches, earning comparisons to stars like Ja Morant and Dwyane Wade. Edgecombe has a chance to learn from some of the league's best stars. The 76ers still have the Big 3 of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. VJ Edgecombe (right) was selected as the third pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2025 NBA Penner-Imagn Images The 76ers welcomed Edgecombe on X when Commissioner Adam Silver summoned him. On the social media platform, the organization had a six-word message, welcoming the 6-foot-5 guard to the team. "GOT OUR GUY," the 76ers posted. "welcome to Philly, @vj_edgecombe!" Edgecombe received a warm welcome from the fans. George also spoke highly of the young guard in the recent episode of "Podcast P with Paul George," saying he has a ton of upside. George even compared Edgecombe to six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler for his tenacity on the court. Advertisement "I like VJ, he showed tremendous upside and when he played with Bahamas, he's competing, playing against top talent," George said. "To me, I think he's kind of like Jimmy Butler, just a dog, plays hard, plays both ends, and he has that toughness about him." Fans are excited to see how well Edgecombe will play alongside the stars of the team. Related: VJ Edgecombe's Strong Message After Being Picked by 76ers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
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76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe's emotional ‘no electricity' revelation during draft reaction
The post 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe's emotional 'no electricity' revelation during draft reaction appeared first on ClutchPoints. The NBA Draft is always an emotional night, but few had more tear-jerking thoughts in 2025 than Philadelphia 76ers selection VJ Edgecombe. Advertisement After getting taken at No. 3 overall, Edgecombe could hardly contain his emotions while thanking his mother and reflecting on his journey. The former Baylor guard revealed how much his mother sacrificed to get him to his goal, saying his family had 'no electricity' for the majority of his childhood. 'She worked too hard, man, she worked too hard,' Edgecombe said. 'Especially for me, my brothers, my little sisters and my little brother. I just want to return the favor for her… Man, those long nights. I lived off a generator. I had no electricity; I lived off a generator for seven years. Seeing what she had to go through to feed us, man, it's crazy.' Edgecombe was born and raised in the Bahamas before moving to Florida in high school to advance his basketball career. He spent his prep years playing for two different schools — Victory International Institute and Long Island Lutheran High School — before committing to Baylor as a five-star prospect. Advertisement Edgecombe joins the 76ers after averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game in his lone season at Baylor. The athletic guard figures to slot into Philadelphia's backcourt rotation with Kyle Lowry, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. hitting free agency. VJ Edgecombe joins 76ers' intriguing backcourt rotation Bill Streicher-Imagn Images As the 76ers' newest member, Edgecombe provides a unique skill set for a struggling team in transition. The 19-year-old forms an intriguing tandem with 2024 first-round pick Jared McCain, who projects to return from a torn meniscus in 2025-2026. Edgecombe and McCain give the team a lot of optimism for the future. Before going down, McCain was the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award, posting stellar averages of 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 38.3 percent from deep. Advertisement While the team boasts a promising core of young talent, Joel Embiid's status remains up in the air. The team provided an ominous update on the former MVP's injury status ahead of the draft, offering no answers. Embiid, who appeared in just 19 games in 2024-2025, continues to be one of the biggest wild cards of the league. Related: Live 2025 NBA Draft grades for every 1st-round pick, trade Related: 76ers rumors: Joel Embiid injury concerns spark Khaman Maluach draft speculation
Yahoo
a day ago
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76ers rumors: VJ Edgecombe ‘nervous' during private workout, but there's a silver lining
The post 76ers rumors: VJ Edgecombe 'nervous' during private workout, but there's a silver lining appeared first on ClutchPoints. Now that the NBA Finals have officially come to a close, the full attention of the league has flipped over to the NBA Draft. There are some very intriguing selections coming near the top of the draft after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper go with the top two picks on Wednesday night. That intrigue starts with the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. Advertisement For a large chunk of the college basketball season, Rutgers star Ace Bailey was viewed as the No. 3 prospect in the draft. However, his pre-draft process hasn't gone according to plan, leaving an unlikely scenario that lands him in Philly. Instead, Baylor's VJ Edgecombe is the favorite to go at that spot after a stellar freshman season for Scott Drew and company. However, Edgecombe recently had a private workout with the 76ers that didn't go entirely smoothly on the court. Despite that, he still impressed the team off the floor, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN. 'While sources say Edgecombe appeared nervous during his private workout in Philadelphia and did not shoot the ball particularly well in an unnatural one-on-one setting, he made a strong impression in interviews and meetings, something the front office values more highly,' Givony and Woo wrote. Edgecombe would likely have to play the three in Philadelphia while playing alongside Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey, but he is no stranger to playing in small lineups. Baylor was exclusively a small-ball team last season, so Edgecombe will be comfortable in that kind of setting. Advertisement The top thing that pops off the screen with the former five-star recruit is his incredible athleticism. Edgecombe is a monster in transition and is capable of highlight finishes around the basket at any time. His jump shot also showed strides last season, which should give 76ers fans optimism should they draft him. Edgecombe's handle and shot creation will be the biggest swing skill for his development, but at the very least he projects as a quality starter who can impact the game on both ends. While it may take him some time to adjust to the NBA, Edgecombe should make an impact in year one if he is in Philadelphia. Related: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sends 76ers a 'no Ace Bailey' demand Related: 76ers rumors: Philadelphia hit with stark Quentin Grimes contract projection
Yahoo
2 days ago
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How Daryl Morey approached his 1st top-10 pick ever and landed on VJ Edgecombe
How Daryl Morey approached his 1st top-10 pick ever and landed on VJ Edgecombe originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has presided over many an NBA draft night. His approach had to change a bit this year. Advertisement The 2025 draft was Morey's first rodeo with a top-10 pick and the Sixers landed on Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe at No. 3. 'I think we have a pretty detailed process here,' Morey said Wednesday night. 'It starts at the high school level and all their years before coming into college — with national teams, with everything. … I think we were seriously considering early in the process about six (players), and then it was down to four. We were deliberating up until the last few days on who we would pick. As we dug in, we felt VJ was by far the best choice there.' Before Wednesday, Morey's highest draft pick was Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 in 2012. 'I thought it would be very different,' he said. 'I would say you have much more visibility on who might be there, which I've never had. Usually, we're running sims. We didn't have to do that this time. I would say the other thing is I really, really don't like people to know who we're picking. It's impossible at three for people to not get a sense. You're usually down to a few names and people are going to have a rough outline. Advertisement 'But just to optimize my job, (potential) trades, I think the less public it is, the better. But that's just not realistic at three. I started to give that up early. … I would say we had to retune things to upside. I do think you don't pick high very often, so you want to take guys who have All-Star capability and he absolutely has that. I don't know what percentage (chance) exactly, but we have a guess. It's definitely material and we feel good about it.' The Sixers' belief in Edgecombe's upside stems from his blend of outstanding athleticism, self-awareness and diligence. 'Where we can get more confidence is if a player has two things: (One) is they understand they're not where they need to be,' Morey said. 'They understand they're not pick your All-Star guard in the league. And then they have the work ethic to close that gap. If a player has that, that's very interesting to us generally. 'We're fortunate that we could get a guy with talent already playing at a high level at Baylor who also has not only just a hopeful work ethic, but one that you can see if you track back to the Bahamas and you track back pre-Baylor, all the way through. We're excited about that.' Advertisement As far as other options on the table, Rutgers wing Ace Bailey was clearly among the top prospects the Sixers evaluated. Bailey declined an in-person visit with the Sixers — and all NBA teams, for that matter — and wound up going at No. 5 to the Jazz. 'It was pretty opaque,' Morey said of Bailey's canceled visit. 'I spoke to the agent. So did (general manager Elton Brand), so did (vice president of player personnel Prosper Karangwa), so did a lot of the key folks on our team. He didn't work out with anybody, so that was just their general plan. I don't try to judge. They were doing what they thought was best for them, we were doing what was best for us. It had no impact on the decision.' Morey noted before the draft that he'd focus simply on taking the best player available. Unsurprisingly, he's also optimistic about Edgecombe's fit on the Sixers' roster. Advertisement 'I really like how things are shaping up,' he said. 'I think we'll have one of the best backcourts in the league, with (Quentin) Grimes, (Tyrese) Maxey, Jared McCain and now VJ. With the way the NBA's going, I think you saw some of these teams playing dynamic, uptempo with multiple guards that put the defense in jeopardy. 'We do have to have our main guy in the middle. I felt for the players and Coach (Nick) Nurse specifically, trying to put a defense on the floor with Joel (Embiid) out … and obviously, (Andre) Drummond was hurt. (Adem) Bona stepped up late, which was exciting. But if you have a bunch of dynamic guards, it's hard to make it all work if you don't have a big in there who's making things hard on the other team.' So, how's Embiid doing after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April? 'I spoke to Joel today,' Morey said. 'He's very engaged, attacking rehab, doing everything he can to be out there. He had a meeting with Dr. (Jonathan L.) Glashow this week. All things, to use a NASA term, are nominal. Things are going well and as expected. We expect that to continue.' Advertisement Asked whether Embiid will be ready for training camp, Morey said, 'Things are on track to be ready right around there.' Well before Morey's tenure in Philadelphia, the Sixers selected Embiid near the top of the 2014 draft. There's a new No. 3 pick in town. 'If I was a bad person, I doubt they would've picked me,' Edgecombe said in a Zoom press conference. 'Or if my character wasn't likable, I doubt they would've picked me. It shows a lot about who they are as people, that they care about more then basketball. They care about how you are as a person also, things that can translate off the court. 'It's the City of Brotherly Love, man, so I don't think they want anyone here that doesn't show love.'
