Decision Dossier: Five-star V.J. Edgecombe
The top uncommitted prospect in the class of 2024, V.J. Edgecombe sits on the No. 5 line in the Rivals150. He also stands unbothered and in no hurry to make a decision. The five-star wing officially has a top 11 comprised mostly of programs that have been de facto eliminated based on an inability to get him on campus for a visit.
Separation has long set in as it relates to the race to land the five-star’s letter of internet, so, today, Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy breaks down Edgecombe’s impending decision and discusses where each of the involved programs actually stand.
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THE SERIOUS CONTENDERS: Baylor, Duke, Kentucky
It seems likely that Edgecombe will play his college hoops in either Durham, Lexington or Waco. Separating the three teams at the top is a bit tricky for the time being, however. Kentucky’s fast start is said to have intrigued the five-star guard, who looked a bit like a Duke lean not so long ago. The Bears are also hanging around, however, and one person in the know recently described them to me as “still definitely among the top three”.
If we’re talking about momentum, however, we’re talking about John Calipari's Wildcats. UK has gone from peripheral player to serious contender in the matter of a month. Had Edgecombe decided to sign early, the Wildcats would have been an afterthought based on the fact that they didn’t offer until mid September. Instead, the slow and deliberate nature of the New York-based wing’s recruitment has played into Calipari’s hand. Edgecombe visited Lexington in October, and the Wildcats seem to have made their move at that time despite being late to the table.
Baylor offered Edgecombe back in July, around the same time as Duke, and it got Edgecombe on campus for a visit in early October. And while some see the Bears as fading from the forefront of the battle, people in the know insist that’s not the case.
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THE DARK HORSE: St. John’s
The hometown program shouldn’t be totally counted out. Rick Pitino got Edgecombe in on a visit on Nov. 12, and the allure of staying home in New York is strong. So are the ties between Pitino and the staff at Edgecombe’s Long Island Lutheran High School.
If the LuHi star is to go anywhere not named Kentucky, Baylor or Duke, it will likely be St. John's, which would love to keep him home and make a statement about the level at which it plans to recruit its local area under the larger-than-life Pitino. It doesn’t seem especially likely that Edgecombe lands in Queens for the time being, but it’s not totally out of the question.
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THE REST: Michigan, Alabama, Miami, Florida, Florida State, UConn, NBA G League
The above programs are technically “involved” due to their standing in Edgecombe’s final 11, but most failed to get him on campus for a visit. The G League is probably the most realistic option of the bunch, but that’s not saying a ton right now. Things could change obviously, but all of the above seem destined for honorable mention status.