W
I ain't quite as dumb as I seem
-- (P.C. 1974)
-- (P.C. 1974)
Photo by © Wendell Cruz
NEW YORK – Former Baylor men's basketball guard VJ Edgecombe earned a spot on the 2025-26 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced on Wednesday, after a standout debut season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
A native of Bimini, Bahamas, Edgecombe was one of three unanimous selections alongside Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg and Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel. Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs and Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies rounded out the five-man squad, as chosen by the league's 100-member global media panel.
Edgecombe is the first Bear to earn All-Rookie First Team honors, and the third Baylor player in program history to appear on the NBA All-Rookie Team. Jeremy Sochan earned Second Team recognition in 2023, followed by Keyonte George in 2024.
Taken third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft and Baylor’s highest draft pick in program history, Edgecombe started all 75 games he appeared in and averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals. He shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and ranked in the top three among rookies in points, field goals, 3-pointers, steals and minutes played.
Two of his biggest performances came in March with a career-high 38 points against the Sacramento Kings and 35 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished as the only rookie in the league to record 100 steals and 100 3-pointers, the third first-year player to do so since 2010-11.
Edgecombe made himself known in the league in his NBA debut, dropping 34 points on the Boston Celtics to open the season. He went on to become the first Sixers rookie to reach 1,000 points and 125 3-pointers in a season since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in 1996-97, and the first Sixer named to the All-Rookie First Team since Ben Simmons in 2017-18.
The former Bear was also a finalist for NBA Rookie of the Year and was named MVP of the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.
Edgecombe spent one season at Baylor in 2024-25, averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals to Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
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