Observing V.J. Edgecombe, Khalif Battle, and Michael Ajayi in the Baylor-Gonzaga Game
November 5th, 2024
By Alan Lu
Yesterday, I took the time to watch Baylor’s 6-5 guard, V.J. Edgecombe play on the road against Gonzaga in the season opener of the 2024-25 college basketball season. Edgecombe is a very athletic, energetic swingman that could end up being a lottery pick in the 2025 draft. In this game, Gonzaga routed Baylor, and Edgecombe didn’t have a great game overall, but he was able to make some really impressive plays in his team’s loss to Gonzaga. In addition, Gonzaga had great shooting, passing, and post play from their players to get a double-digit win over Baylor. Here are my thoughts on how Edgecombe and other various prospects fared in this game.
Baylor’s 6-5 freshman guard, V.J. Edgecombe threw down a monster dunk to posterize Joe Few late in this game, as two of his four points came on that play. In terms of the actual game, he went just 2 for 11 from the field, missed all three of his three-pointers, and he had 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal in his team’s 101-63 lopsided loss to Gonzaga last night. (Photo: Young Kwak/Associated Press, via Idaho State Journal)
V.J. Edgecombe had a lackluster performance overall, as it was marred by poor shooting, bad shot selection, and a lot of rushed decisions that led to frequent misses and to him committing a handful of turnovers. That said, he was able to have some strong finishes around the basket, and he also made some solid plays as a playmaker and defender.
Edgecombe didn’t do a very good job of shooting or scoring the basketball in this game. He would often miss on open threes or on wild, rushed drives to the hoop, and he would tend to take rushed, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses. On the plus side, he was able to use a quick ball fake to his left to score in traffic when driving to the hoop. He also ran the floor to get the ball in order to throw down a thunderous dunk in traffic.
(Source: X/@Sportscenter)
He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills in this game. Edgecombe would make the extra pass to find the open man, and he also showed that he can make passes off the dribble to get the ball to his teammates due to possessing solid court vision. On the downside, he tended to over-penetrate, which would lead him to get the ball ripped away from him by defenders, and another time, he threw an inaccurate pass that led to an over-and-back violation.
Also, Edgecombe did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor. However, there was one play where he didn’t help on the block out, which led his team to give up an offensive board. Edgecombe also defended well in this game, and he is a rangy defender that can cover plenty of ground. He did a great job of hustling and rotating to make high-flying blocks to help his team protect the paint. He also showed active hands by getting his hands on a pass to get a steal. On the downside, there was one play when he was defending in the post, hand he got beat on a spin move to allow a score that time.
In summary, it wasn’t Edgecombe’s best first game, but based on this game, he is a tremendously athletic guard that could be one of the best athletes in the 2025 draft. He’ll need to improve his shooting, shot selection, and decision-making, but his ability to score, pass, and defend could enable him to be an even better player in the NBA than in college, as he could end up being a similar player to Ricky Davis in the NBA.
Khalif Battle made 4 three-pointers to lead Gonzaga to a blowout win over Baylor last night.
(Photo: Young Kwak/Associated Press, via The Herald Journal)
Gonzaga’s 6-5 senior guard, Khalif Battle also played well to help lead Gonzaga to a double-digit win over Baylor. He is an agile, sharpshooting guard that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor. Battle shot the ball very well, especially from beyond the arc. He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch, particularly from the corners. He also was able to make a smooth, step-back three another time. On the downside, sometimes he would drive too recklessly, which would lead to misses.
He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills. He would sometimes find the open man to notch assists. However, sometimes he would over-dribble, which would lead him to commit careless, ball-handling turnovers. He also did a fairly good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. Plus, Battle also defended well. He was able to get a steal, and he also rotated to block a shot off of a drive to a teammate.
In general, Khalif Battle had a solid showing, as he shot the three-ball well and he also defended well to help his team get a decisive victory over Baylor. He also was able to make three consecutive three-pointers in a row in this game, and his ability to make jump shots and defend could enable him to be a solid role player in the NBA.
6-7 forward, Michael Ajayi made a big impact off the bench, as his efficient shot-making and rebounding prowess helped get Gonzaga a blowout win over Baylor.
(Photo: Young Kwak/Associated Press, via The Herald-Journal)
Michael Ajayi quietly had a solid showing to help Gonzaga get a win over Baylor. Ajayi is an agile, high-motor, 6-7 combo forward that showed off versatile scoring skills to help his team get the victory. He was able to score on a put back. Ajayi also was able to make an open corner three, as his length, range, and shooting skills makes him a credible threat from beyond the arc. Also, Ajayi was able to drove hard from the baseline to score on a baseline dunk. He showed off a solid face-up game, and he also excelled as a finisher around the basket.
Plus, Ajayi was able to throw an accurate outlet pass to find an open teammate on the break, and he also handled the ball well. He also did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also played decent defense in this game. Ajayi was able to block a shot. However, there was one play where he fouled an opposing ball handler, although the opponent did clumsily handle the ball that time, where it seemed as if Ajayi was able to poke the ball away. Overall, Michael Ajayi played very well in his team’s win over Baylor. He showed off a solid set of all-around skills, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2025 draft.
Nolan Hickman had a strong showing to help lead Gonzaga get a blowout win over Baylor. In this game, he did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble, and he also showed a strong floater game. He also excelled at scoring on quick drives to the hoop, as he can finish plays using either hand.
Though he didn’t look to pass the ball very often in this game, Hickman was able to get an assist in this game. He also rebounded and defended well, and he was able to contest a three to force a miss. Overall, Nolan Hickman is an agile, skilled combo guard that primarily excelled as a shot maker in this game, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2025 draft.
Graham Ike had a solid showing to help lead his team to a double-digit win over Baylor. He is a strong, mobile big man that can score in the paint, is an underrated passer for his size, and he made a number of high-motor plays to help his team in this game.
Ike showed a decent ability to score out of the post. He would get deep position, and would maneuver his way to score around the basket. Sometimes though, he would struggle to score in traffic, as he didn’t always have his shooting touch. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Ike was able to score off of a cut, as well as in transition, and on a tip-in. He also attempted a three-pointer, but missed that time.
Plus, Ike also passed the ball well. Ike excelled as a passer out of the post, and he also can find teammates on the move to set up scores for them. He also rebounded and defended well. Ike was able to poke a ball away from a ball handler in the post to get a steal once.
Overall, Ike played well to help his team get a win over Baylor. He primarily excelled at scoring and passing the basketball in the second half, and he was solid throughout the game to help his team get the victory. He would project well into a rotational big man role at the NBA level, and he would likely be a good pick in the second round range for the 2025 draft.
Dusty Stromer put forth a strong performance to help lead Gonzaga to a double-digit win over Baylor. He primarily excelled as a shooter and scorer to help his team in this game. Stromer shot the ball very well, especially from the outside. He was able to make a series of spot-up threes off the catch to showcase his strong ability to knock down standstill, three-pointers. He also was able to move to get the ball around the basket, which enabled him to score on a powerful dunk.
He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. Stromer was able to throw a sharp skip pass to get an assist. On one play though, he threw a bad pass out of the post that got intercepted. Also, Stromer did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor. Plus, he also defended well, and he would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. Overall, Stromer had a strong all-around game, and he could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.
Gonzaga’s 6-10 sophomore center, Braden Huff also had a strong showing to help lead his team to a blowout win over Baylor. He thrived as a low post scorer and finisher around the basket. He really showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He would often score on rolls to the rim and put backs, and he was able to throw down a powerful dunk off of a roll. He also showed a solid ability to score out of the post. He would use subtle moves to score on jump hooks.
Also, Huff passed the ball well. He was able to pass out of a double team from the post to find an open shooter to notch an assist. He also threw an accurate interior pass to set up a score for his teammate. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, Huff was able to collect an offensive board once. He also played adequate defense. Huff was able to hustle back to block a shot on the break. On one play though, he got outmuscled when defending in the post, which led him to commit a foul and allow a score that time.
Overall, Braden Huff played very well to help lead his team to get a win over Baylor. He excelled at making plays to help his team shore up the interior on both ends of the floor, and he could end up being a rotational big man in the NBA someday.
Ryan Nembhard did a great job of finding teammates on the move to rack up assists. He also was able to knock down a couple of threes and grab rebounds, although he didn’t make shots consistently nor take many of them in this game. Still, he is a very good passer and facilitator that could excel as a game manager at the NBA level, and he could end up being a solid backup point guard in the NBA someday.
Josh Ojianwuna is a tall, athletic big man for Baylor that excelled at scoring on hustle plays, and he also would jump passes to get steals to help his team on the defensive end. He also was able to make a solid drive and dish pass to get an assist. He is a strong, athletic big man that was efficient at making shots in limited touches. He’ll need to be more assertive on offense, but his ability to make plays in the paint could enable him to thrive as a backup center at the NBA level.
Norchad Omier is a 6-7 forward for Baylor that did a good job of scoring off the dribble and out of the post in this game. He made strong moves to score on offense, and he also showed that he can score on hustle plays. He also was able to grab some rebounds to help his team. He’ll need to extend his shooting range and improve his outside shot, but he is a strong, mobile combo forward that could potentially project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level if he can add an outside shot to his arsenal.
All in all, those are my thoughts on how Edgecombe and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.