Meet VJ Edgecombe, the five-star prospect St. John’s is in the hunt for
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VJ Edgecombe wasn’t thinking too big.
Three years ago, he left his home in The Bahamas for one simple reason.
“I just wanted to get a free education so my mom wouldn’t have to pay for college,” the five-star, 6-foot-5 guard from Long Island Lutheran told The Post. “I just wanted to have the opportunity to play the game.”
He didn’t know then how much his life would change. Only a few years after coming to America, Edgecombe has developed into one of the premier prospects in the country, a player with his choice of top schools. That free education is inevitable. The NBA feels likely, too.
Back home in Bimini, a small island in The Bahamas, he played basketball every day. But it wasn’t until he came to the United States that he really began to take off.
He hooked up with an AAU program, the South Florida Kings, and later joined an Adidas-sponsored team, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite.
He spent last season at national powerhouse Long Island Lutheran.
He has become a consensus top-10 prospect in the country, and some would argue the best guard in the class.
“I’m grateful to even be in this position, knowing all the stuff that had to happen, all the sacrifices that had to be made,” he said. “It’s a blessing. I’m thankful for everyone that’s been placed in my life to help me reach my goals. …. It’s a great thing to be recognized among the best high school players in the country.”
A college coach familiar with the 18-year-old Edgecombe described him as a “high level athlete who is ascending rapidly. Good size, great kid, potential pro.”
Edgecombe was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New York last season after averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game for loaded Long Island Lutheran.
He was also the Player of the Year in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), one of the country’s toughest high school leagues, and was the MVP of the Adidas Eurocamp.
“He’s long been an elite athlete capable of impacting games off the bounce and on the boards, but he’s taken massive strides as a long range shooter and defender over the last year,” Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy said. “He’s one of the most complete two-way players in the country and an absolute freak athlete.”
Leaving The Bahamas was a difficult decision, and now comes another one. Edgecombe has yet to pick a college. He has taken official visits to Florida, Duke, Kentucky and Baylor. Most experts believe Duke is the leader for Edgecombe.
He would further elevate the Blue Devils’ top-ranked recruiting class that already features Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“Duke was great. They put in everything,” he said of his trip there. “They had me, Cooper and Pat [Ngongba II] on the same visit. It was a really great visit. We enjoyed it. We’re still waiting patiently about everything.”
He will take his fifth visit to St. John’s starting Saturday with his mother, Bendra Rolle, and brother, Lortario Rolle.
They will attend the Johnnies’ game against Michigan on Monday at the Garden.
Landing Edgecombe would be a seismic recruiting win for coach Rick Pitino and Co.
He would be the highest-rated prospect in the rankings era for St. John’s, and the first five-star it landed since Rysheed Jordan in 2013.
“I’m expecting them to go all in. They’re trying to get me to stay in New York,” he said. “I have a great relationship with Coach Pitino. We speak a lot. Great relationship with the coaching staff. I feel like the visit is going to be great. I’m going into the visit with an open mind about everything.”
Edgecombe isn’t sure of a timeline for a decision just yet. He is certain that he wants to play for someone who can get him to the next level.
“As a kid, you want to reach the highest level of basketball and the NBA is the next level,” he said. “The coaches that have already put people in the league and have a great resume [are attractive], and a program that wants to win. That’s really important.
“Try to go to a program that’s focused on winning, focused on winning a national championship.”
St. John’s sophomore wing RJ Luis has been cleared for basketball activities, according to Pitino. He broke his left hand Oct. 1. The likely return date is against Holy Cross on Nov. 25.
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