Baylor Basketball’s Edgecombe named to Jerry West Award Watch List

WACO, Texas — Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe was one of 20 players named to the Jerry West Award Watch list Tuesday. The Award honors the nation's top shooting guard.

Joining Ja’Kobe Walter, Adam Flagler, Keyonte George and MaCio Teague, who have all made the preseason list over the last four years, Edgecombe is just the latest Baylor backcourt star projected to have a big season. BU’s fourth-straight preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year, he is aiming to make Baylor the first school in conference history to have three-straight postseason Big 12 freshmen of the year.

Playing for the Bahamian National Team in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament this summer, Edgecombe averaged 16.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals in four games, playing alongside the likes of Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton. He is coming off an impressive senior season at Long Island Lutheran, where he helped the Crusaders reach No. 2 in the ESPN High School basketball rankings. They reached the Chipotle National Finals (formerly GEICO Nationals), falling in the quarterfinals of the eight-team national tournament against Columbus, which eventually bowed out in the semifinals against fellow Baylor freshman Rob Wright.

Edgecombe is one of four Big 12 representatives on the list, alongside Arizona's Caleb Love, Houston's LJ Cryer and Kansas' Zeke Mayo. The other players earning the preseason nod include Johnell Davis and Boogie Fland of Arkansas, Caleb Foster and Kon Knueppel of Duke, Meechie Johnson and Matthew Murrell of Ole Miss. GCU’s Tyson Grant Foster, Marquette’s Kam Jones, Miami’s Jalil Bethea, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer, Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier, Texas’ Tre Johnson, UCONN’s Aidan Mahaney and Wake’s Hunter Sallis also made the list.

The list will change throughout the season, giving players an opportunity to play their way on or off the list. It will be trimmed to 10 on Feb. 3, 2025, with the final five a month later. The winner will be unveiled at the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, on April 4th.

Fan voting presented by Dell Technologies is now open, with the player who earns the most votes getting an additional vote from the committee. For any additional information, please visit the official website: http://www.hoophallawards.com/.

2024-25 Season Awards

VJ Edgecombe

• Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year
• Jerry West Award Watch List

Norchad Omier

• Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team

Jeremy Roach

• Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Year
• Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team
• Bob Cousy Award Watch List