Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe didn’t hold back during his appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, sharing a blunt assessment of his lone season at Baylor.
Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, described the college game as frustrating and overly congested.
“College though? I hated college basketball, personally,” Edgecombe said, via HoopsHype. “I was also dealing with two centers — two bigs — sitting in the paint. I’m trying to get to the cup, and it was bad. I’m like, ‘Bro, I got no space to operate.’”
The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 33 games for Baylor during the 2024–25 season.
Despite solid production, Edgecombe pointed to college basketball’s lack of spacing and absence of a defensive three-second rule as major limitations for slashers like himself.
“Some people love it — I don’t,” he said. “You can sit in the paint — you know what I’m saying? There’s no three-second rule. Nothing.”
Edgecombe’s perspective comes after representing the Bahamas in international play, where he said he became accustomed to a more professional-style system with open floor spacing.
Now part of a revamped 76ers roster that includes Paul George and Joel Embiid, Edgecombe is embracing the faster, more structured pace of the NBA.
“For training camp, I’m just going in to play hard,” he said. “But for the year — Rookie of the Year — I definitely want to win Rookie of the Year, man. That would be amazing.”
Edgecombe is also targeting elite two-way recognition, stating his ambition to make the All-Defensive Team as a rookie.
“They’re going to say it’s hard for a rookie… but I don’t think it’s going to be hard for me,” he said. “I play defense — and I’m going to be guarding the best players in practice, which is going to prepare me.”
In his Summer League debut, the Nassau native posted 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in 30 minutes despite shooting just 28.6% from the field.
Edgecombe remains confident in his fit with the Sixers, especially given their title aspirations.
“I’m blessed to be in this situation — to be on a team that has a chance to actually win the championship,” he said. “Healthy, I feel like a healthy Sixers squad — we’re going to the chip. You feel me?”
