The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BIMINI native Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe capped off his initial regular season with the Baylor Bears men’s basketball team by earning the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award.

The announcement came last night as Edgecombe and his Bears’ team-mates Norchad Omier and Robert O. Wright III were voted as three Big 12 honourees. 

The Big 12 awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Edgecombe, a 6-foot, 5-inch guard, became the 13th player in Big 12 history and the third-straight rookie from Baylor to sweep the preseason and postseason freshman of the year honours.

The 19-year-old Edgecombe was also named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and the All-Big 12 Second Team to make Baylor the only school in Big 12 history to have the preseason and postseason freshman of the year in three consecutive seasons. 

During the season, Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points per game to lead the conference. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, both of which ranked third among Big 12 freshmen. 

Edgecombe and the number seven seeded Bears will now prepare for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. They will play in a second-round matchup tonight at 6 pm as they wait on either No.10 Kansas State or No. 15 Arizona State from last night’s game.

Baylor owns a 18-26 all-time record in the Big 12 Championships, including a 14-22 mark in Kansas City and a 10-16 mark under coach Scott Drew.

The Bears are seeking their first conference tournament title in programme history. 

Baylor wrapped up their regular-season schedule with a narrow 65-61 loss to No. 3/3 Houston on Saturday night at Foster Pavilion. 

Arizona State (13-18, 4-16 Big 12) fell in its final test of the year at home vs. No. 9/9 Texas Tech, 85-57, and Kansas State (15-16, 9-11 Big 12) suffered a 73-57 loss at home to No. 10/10 Iowa State. 

Edgecombe, who attended Long Island Lutheran High School, played this summer on the Bahamas men’s national team that fell short in the final of qualifying for the FIBA Olympic-qualifying tournament to get to Paris, France, for the games.

Playing alongside Bahamian National Basketball Association players Chavano “Buddy” Hield, Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordon, Edgecombe posted an impressive showing, averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals in four games.

At Long Island Lutheran, Edgecombe helped the Crusaders reach No.2 in the ESPN High School basketball rankings. 

Long Island 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 signee Robert Wright III and his Montverde Academy Eagles.

Edgecombe was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New York for the second-straight season, joining his classmate Wright, who was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania in 2022-23.