St. John’s facing big task vs. Baylor star V.J. Edgecombe
NASSAU, Bahamas — St. John’s will get an up close look at the one that got away Thursday night.
When the 22nd-ranked Johnnies meet No. 13 Baylor, former Long Island Lutheran star V.J. Edgecombe will be on the opposing team.
St. John’s made the five-star guard’s final five and hosted him for an official visit last November.
Ultimately, he chose Baylor in January, becoming the Bears’ highest-rated recruit in over a decade.
“They were in my top five, they definitely had a shot. I wasn’t going to put them in the top five for no reason,” Edgecombe told The Post on the eve of the Baha Mar Hoops Championship. “So they definitely had a shot. Rick Pitino is a legendary coach, a Hall of Fame coach. He’s a winning coach. I have nothing but respect for Coach Pitino and what he’s building.”
It worked out for St. John’s in the end.
Despite losing out on Edgecombe, it landed top transfer targets Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall) and Deivon Smith (Utah) and has paired the duo with improved sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher.
Pitino never felt like St. John’s was close to landing Edgecombe, but the Hall of Fame coach obviously wanted him.
“I think he’s a dynamic athlete, one of the best athletes in the country,” Pitino said.
This will be a homecoming for Edgecombe.
He grew up in The Bahamas, a 30-minute flight away from the resort in Bimini, and will have a large amount of family and friends in attendance for Baylor’s two games on Thursday and Friday night.
Edgecombe spent two years at Long Island Lutheran, was a two-time Gatorade New York Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American.
He moved to the United States in the ninth grade.
“It’s going to be great for sure,” he said of the trip home. “Some of my family have never seen me play before, so they get to see me play. It’s always great to represent The Bahamas, especially in The Bahamas.”
So far, the 6-foot-5 Edgecombe has struggled with his shot, going 3-for-17 on his 3-point attempts.
But he has showcased his elite athleticism and well-rounded game, averaging 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks.
He has also produced a few highlight-reel dunks, including one that went viral when he emphatically threw it down over Gonzaga coach Mark Few’s son Joe late in a lopsided loss to the Zags.
Early NBA mock drafts have Edgecombe going in the top 10.
He isn’t paying attention to that, however.
“Me, personally, I don’t care about it. I just want to win,” Edgecombe said. “I know when you win, everybody eats. I want to see my whole team succeed. I don’t really care about the mock drafts.
“One day you can be top five, the next week or so you can be [in the] second round. It’s just a bunch of opinions. Definitely respect everybody’s opinion, but I’m not focused on it at all.”
