Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) has the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Top 5 NBA Draft Prospect Lands Comparison to Detroit Pistons Star

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 5:56 PM ET

Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe is widely considered a top-five prospect.

The two-way standout is entering the NBA with a wide-range of draft comparisons and recently landed a comp to Detroit Pistons guard, Jaden Ivey.

As ESPN recently laid out the “high-end” and “low-end” draft comp projections for most of the lottery prospects, Edgecombe’s “low-end” comp was Ivey.

“The Ivey comparison is a little tricky because the Detroit Pistons guard is still developing in his own right, but things started to click for him this past season before an injury in January. Slashing guards in this mold who have to learn to make good decisions with the ball often take time to find success. The range of outcomes for Edgecombe offensively might be pretty wide, but at worst, he should still be a highly useful backcourt contributor -- adding to his appeal as a top-five selection.”

Similar to Edgecombe, Ivey entered the 2022 NBA Draft as a top-five prospect out of Purdue.

At the time, the Pistons were still deep in the midst of their rebuild. As a result, they possessed the fifth-overall draft selection and eventually spent it on Ivey after his second season at Purdue.

Entering the NBA, Ivey had averaged 17 points on 46 percent shooting from the field for Purdue during his sophomore season. He also posted averages of five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Since landing in the NBA, Ivey has appeared in 181 games. As a rookie, he averaged 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting 43 percent. He took a nice jump in progression during year three, posting averages of 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while knocking down 46 percent of his field goals.

Edgecombe’s college career ends after his freshman season, which spanned 33 games. The Baylor standout averaged 15 points on 44 percent shooting from the field, while coming down with six rebounds per game and averaging two steals.

At this point, the highest slot Edgecombe is expected to land is third overall, following Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. ESPN predicts he’s the fourth-best prospect in the class. Barring any unexpected slides, Edgecombe will likely end up in the top five. Right now, he could be on pace to join the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, or the Utah Jazz.