Assessing Kanon Catchings, V.J. Edgecombe, and Egor Demin in the BYU-Baylor OT Game

January 29th, 2025

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I took the time to watch two of the top prospects, V.J. Edgecombe and Baylor square off against Egor Demin and BYU in a much anticipated Big 12 college basketball game.  The game lived up to its billing, as both prospects played very well, and BYU’s 6-9 forward, Kanon Catchings, and Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe put forth dominant performances, while Baylor’s 6-1 freshman point guard Robert Wright III also played very well, especially down the stretch.  The game went to overtime, and BYU received clutch scoring from Richie Saunders down the stretch to get a hard-fought win over Baylor.  Here are my thoughts on how Catchings, Edgecombe, Demin, Wright, and other various players performed in this game.

BYU’s 6-9 freshman forward, Kanon Catchings scored 23 points on 8 of 8 shooting, made all 4 of his threes, and 3 of his free-throws, and he also blocked a shot in his team’s 93-89 OT win over Baylor. (Photo: BYU Athletics, via Waco Tribune-Herald)

Kanon Catchings turned in an excellent performance to lead BYU to an overtime win over Baylor.  He did a tremendous job of shooting and scoring the basketball, as he showcased the sharpshooting prowess to make threes at will, he carved out space to score off the dribble, and he was perfect from the field as a scorer in this game.  Though he actually didn’t play in overtime as his team opted for a more experienced lineup in crunch time, his superb play was vital in helping BYU to get the win in this game.

Catchings did a tremendous job of knocking down outside shots to space the floor for his team.  He did outstanding work as a spot-up shooter from beyond the arc, as he would often knock down threes off the catch.  He also ran off the ball to make one early on.  Plus, he did a great job of making smooth, step-back jumpers from just inside the arc.   Catchings also was able to score on acrobatic, reverse layup off of a quick, baseline drive while getting fouled, and he did a good job of attacking the close out to score that time.

To sum it up for him on offense, Catchings did a superb job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he made good decisions, as he was patient, showed the willingness to move the ball, and he also showed that he can create space to knock down shots.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to get a defensive board in this game.  Catchings played adequate defense in this game.  He was able to contest a three to force a miss, and he also blocked a corner three.  Another time, he was a bit late to close out and allowed his man to score on a corner three.  On another play, he got beat off the dribble, which led his team to allow a pass that set up a dunk for the opposition.

In summary, Catchings had a terrific showing, and he was able to showcase his skills in a way that made him a very good player in the OTE last season.  Catchings has been playing better as of late, and he is an athletic, sharpshooting forward that could be a very good pick for an NBA team in the first round of the 2025 draft, and he is a talented enough prospect to be worth a lottery pick this year.

Baylor’s freshman guard, V.J Edgecombe also put forth a dominant performance, as he excelled in both regulation and in overtime, and he scored 28 points on 9 of 15 shooting, made 6 threes, and he also had 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 block in his team’s 93-89 loss to BYU. (Photo: Rob Gray/Imagn Images, via MSN)

V.J. Edgecombe put forth a tremendous performance in his team’s tough overtime loss to BYU.   He had a strong all-around showing, and he showed off impressive shooting and playmaking skills, as it’s clear that he’s put in the work on his outside shot, which is paying off for him.

Edgecombe did a terrific job of knocking down threes to provide strong floor spacing for his team on offense.  He showed a knack for making quick spot-up threes off the catch, and he especially thrived at making them from the corners.  He also showed that he can run off the ball to make threes, as well as off the dribble.  Plus, he also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  Edgecombe would score on strong drives to the hoop, and he would make crafty dribble moves to finish plays in traffic.

He also showcased good playmaking skills.   Edgecombe did a great job of making timely passes, as he would throw crisp, accurate passes off the dribble, and also find teammates on the move to rack up assists.  He showed off precise passing skills and very good court vision.  On the downside, there were a couple of times where he threw a couple of inaccurate passes that would go astray, but Edgecombe generally passed the ball well and made very good reads to set up scores for his teammates.

Also, he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to chip in on the glass.  Edgecombe also played satisfactory defense in this game.  He was able to jump on a loose ball that was poked to him to help his team get a steal.  Edgecombe also blocked a long two-pointer to get a stop for his team.   On the downside, there was one time where he closed out too hard on a shooter and then trailed the opposing ball handler, which led his team to allow his opponent to score on a floater.

In general, Edgecombe had a very strong showing in his team’s tough overtime loss to BYU.  He was terrific in this game, and he is a very athletic guard that will be a likely top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.

BYU’s 6-8 freshman point forward, Egor Demin scored 15 points and had 6 assists in his team’s overtime win over Baylor. (Photo: Brice Tucker/Deseret News)

Egor Demin also had a solid showing to help lead his team to an overtime win over Baylor.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he showed off good court vision to help get his team the victory.

Demin showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He did a good job of scoring on strong drives to the hoop, as he can finish plays using either hand, and he also scored on a crafty, step-through move once.  He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He was able to score on a tough put back, as well as on a contested leaner on a strong drive in transition.  Though he didn’t shoot as well from the outside, Demin was still reasonably effective nonetheless.  Demin was able to make a smooth, step-back three to showcase his ability to knock down outside shots, and he also drew three free throws on a pull-up three to get Norchad Omier to foul out.  Though he was inconsistent at making dribble threes, Demin’s ability to make them and draw foul helped him on offense.  

He also showcased solid playmaking skills.  Demin made good reads, and he showed a knack for making skip passes, passes off the dribble, as well as finding teammates on the move to set up scores for his teammates.  He also was able to make a no-look skip pass to notch an assist once.  He did throw a couple of lazy passes that got intercepted at times, but Demin generally passed and handled the ball well.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, Demin was able to get a board on each end of the floor.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Demin was able to get his hands on a pass to help his team get a steal, and he also contested a three to force a miss.  But sometimes he would play a bit too aggressively, which would lead him to pick up fouls.

Overall, Demin had a solid showing, and he is starting to play better as of late.  He generally made sound decisions with the ball in his hands, and his ability to move the ball, create shots, and score off the dribble helped him and his team in this game.  He will need to be a more consistent shooter and defender in games, but he is a very tall, skilled playmaking point forward that projects to be a likely lottery pick in the 2025 draft.

Robert Wright III also had a strong showing in his team’s tough overtime loss to BYU.  Wright did a terrific job of scoring the basketball, especially on strong drives to the hoop.  He excelled as a finisher, and he would use his dribble moves to score on crafty finishes at the rim and also draw fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.  He also shot the three-ball well, as he excelled at making open spot-up threes off the catch, and he also ran off the ball to knock one down another time.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills in this game.  Wright did a good job of making accurate passes, and he also passed well off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates.  He also was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to help his team on the glass.  Defensively, he looked to be about average.  On one play, he ripped a ball away from an opposing ball handler on the break to get a steal.  However, his lack of size made it difficult for him to contest shots, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Overall, Wright played very well in his team’s loss to BYU, and he is a very skilled scorer that could excel as a playmaker at the NBA level.

Richie Saunders had his ups and downs in his team’s overtime win against Baylor, but he saved his best for overtime, where he excelled at making crafty shots off the dribble down the stretch.

Saunders showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble.  He does a good job of attacking close outs, and he also can maneuver past defenders to make pull-up mid-range jumpers and score on crafty layups around the basket.  He also was able to score on a switch of hands layup once.  He also would grab offensive rebounds, which would enable him to score on second chance points.  Sometimes though, he would miss shots in traffic, as he struggled to make them early on.  In addition, he missed all of his three-point shots in this game, and he couldn’t replicate the three-point shooting prowess that he displayed recently against Cincinnati for this game.

Saunders displayed fairly solid playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he was able to get a pair of assists.  On one drive to the hoop, he was called for traveling shortly before he was about to kick a ball out to a teammate, which led him to commit a turnover that time.

Also, he did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  Saunders played decent defense in this game.  He was able to rip a ball away to get a steal, and he intercepted a pass to get another.  But sometimes, he would struggle to defend quicker ball handlers and other times, he would commit reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness, and he ended up fouling out late in this game.

Overall, Saunders had his ups and downs, but he played well in overtime to help his team get a much needed win over Baylor.  He is a skilled guard that can help his team in a variety of ways, and his jump shot and feel for the game could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

Josh Ojianwuna also played well in his team’s tough overtime loss to BYU.  He is an athletic big man that showed a knack for scoring around the basket.  He would often score on powerful dunks around the basket, and Ojianwuna also managed to run in to score on a strong tip slam early on.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills, and Ojianwuna was able to pass the ball back to a teammate on the break to notch an assist. He also was active on the glass, and he was able to get his fair share of boards on both ends of the floor.  He also played decent defense in this game.  Ojianwuna would run in to intercept passes to get steals, and he also rotated to block a mid-range shot to a teammate.  On one play though, he got crossed up on a step-back move, and he ended up giving up too much space, which led his opponent to make a three-point shot that time.

Overall, Josh Ojianwuna had a solid showing in his team’s loss to BYU, and his size, athleticism, and ability to make plays in the paint could enable him to be a rotational big man in the NBA someday.

Jayden Nunn also had a solid showing in his team’s loss to BYU.  He is an agile, sharpshooting combo guard that excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game.  He shot the ball very well, and he especially excelled at making spot-up threes off the catch.  Nunn was able to make a couple of deep threes from way out.  He also showed a knack for scoring on strong drives to the hoop.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  Nunn played unselfishly and he also was able to make a drive and kick to set up a score for his teammate.  He also would chip in to help his team get a few boards.  Defensively, he was active, but there was one play where he was called for committing a reach-in foul when defending an opposing ball-handler.

Overall, Jayden Nunn played well in his team’s tough loss to BYU.  He hasn’t played quite as well on the season, and he’ll need to be a more consistent shooter in games and may need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but he could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA sometime down the road.

Keba Keita is a very athletic, energetic 6-8 junior forward that drove hard to score on a thunderous dunk early on.  He also would rotate to block and contest shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also won a tip, as he tipped a ball to a teammate to get an assist in overtime.  He wasn’t a huge factor in this game, as that dunk was the only shot he took from the field, and he was also a bit turnover and foul prone against Baylor, but overall, Keita could be a prospect to keep tabs on in the future.

Jalen Celestine didn’t have his best game, but despite not having a great game overall, Celestine shot the three-ball well, as he excelled as a spot-up shooter off the catch.  He also ran off the ball quickly to make a corner three early on, but he struggled to consistently score off the dribble or around the basket.  Still, Celestine is a 6-7 senior forward whose promising jump shot and above average athletic gifts could enable him to project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Norchad Omier didn’t have a great game, but he was able to score in a variety of ways, as he was able to play well at times during regulation.   He would tend to score on energetic, hustle plays, and he also can finish plays above the rim.  Omier was able to make an open three-pointer once, but he struggled to consistently make threes or score off the dribble.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average at best.  He is an unselfish player that can make passes off the dribble and out of the post.   However, he would struggle to protect the basketball, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers, and other times, he would make careless decisions that would lead to other turnovers.

He also rebounded the ball well.  On the downside, he struggled defensively, he struggled to defend quicker opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Another time, he closed out too hard on a three-point shot, as he ended up fouling out in overtime.  Overall, Omier is a fairly athletic, energetic combo forward that has a promising set of skills, but he will need to be a more consistent player in games, and he will especially need to improve his jump shot.  If he can reach his full potential, he could end up making it to the NBA someday.  Even if he doesn’t make it to the NBA someday, Omier could end up carving out a solid playing career in professional basketball in the future.

Other Notes:

As a side note, VJ Edgecombe was going to be the first player listed due to his consistently strong play throughout the game due to his impressive shooting, playmaking and court vision, and solid defensive play he showed throughout regulation and overtime, but I couldn’t find a good Edgecombe picture of him online against BYU, and Catchings also had a very strong game (despite not having played in overtime), had a solid usable picture, and BYU won, so Catchings ended up being the first player written up instead.

Against BYU, Edgecombe looked like a surefire future NBA superstar on the court.  The last time I saw Edgecombe play, he struggled mightily in an early season loss to Gonzaga, but Edgecombe has been playing much better since, and he’s looking to be a consensus top 5 pick.  Edgecombe is a tremendously athletic guard that can make explosive plays on the court, and if he can continue to showcase an elite outside shot and playmaking skills, he could be a top 3 pick in the 2025 draft.

Catchings was used more in a sixth man role, as he was used selectively, but he was incredibly effective as a marksman and shot creator on the floor.   I would’ve liked to see him play in overtime to contribute to the impact of the game in the final five minutes, but he had a strong all-around game overall that was obviously bolstered by his blistering shooting and scoring performance.  He didn’t stand out in the non-shooting or scoring related categories, but he did a good job of blending his opportunities to assert himself along with playing within the team system. Catchings is a rangy athletic forward whose scoring skills and two-way potential could make him to be a solid starter at the NBA level.

In regards to his season performance, Kanon Catchings has been playing better.  Early on, he had struggled to be consistent with his jump shot, but he’s been surfing as of late, and it’s a welcome sign, as he’s proving himself to be the first round caliber prospect that he appeared to be before entering BYU.

Demin was solid, as his ability to take it to the hoop and score and distribute the basketball enabled him to be an effective team player on the court.  But on the other hand, he will have to improve his outside shot, and at the NBA level, it is imperative for perimeter players to be able to knock down outside shots to spread the floor and be able to move the ball to allow their team to have a dynamic offense.  In case if an NBA team decides to play him off the ball, his playmaking will be a strong suit, but having a credible outside shot would allow him to play off of others in any system. The improvement of Demin’s jump shot could enable him to be a very good player in the NBA, but even if he doesn’t improve his outside shot to a passable level, his basketball IQ, skill set, and versatility could allow him to be a solid role player in the association.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Edgecombe, Catchings, Wright, Demin, and other various prospects fared in this game.  Thanks for reading.

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