By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net    

BAHAMIAN collegiate players Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr and AJ Storr are already turning heads before the start of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball season.

Storr, the newest Kansas Jayhawks small forward, was one of 20 members named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, Edgecombe was one of 20 players to be selected for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch list on Tuesday. The Baylor freshman joins the likes of former players Ja’Kobe Walter, Adam Flagler, Keyonte Georgette and MaCio Teague, who have all made the preseason list within the last four seasons.

The Bimini native is coming off a sensational run with The Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain. 

The crafty guard delivered some standout performances among the pros and averaged 16.5 points per game, 3.8 assists and two steals in four games played. He had an equally impressive run in his senior year at Long Island Lutheran (LUHI). He propelled the Crusaders to no. 2 on the ESPN High School basketball rankings. 

The team made it to the Chipotle National before coming up short against Columbus in the quarterfinals.

“VJ” was one of four Big 12 Conference players to make the preseason watch list.

Storr was a major cog in the wheel for the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Conference last season. He led the Badgers with 16.8 ppg while shooting 43.4 per cent from the field and 81.2 per cent at the charity stripe to be named to the 2024 All Big Ten Second Team. 

Additionally, he was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team and averaged 22.5 points in four games played.

The 21-year-old small forward is looking to make a major impact for the Kansas Jayhawks after transferring from Wisconsin during the offseason. If successful, Storr 6-foot-7 junior would be just the second Jayhawk to win the Julius Erving Small Forward of The Year award since Jalen Wilson won it in 2023.

The NCAA men’s basketball season begins on Monday night.