The Baylor men's basketball team is a Final Four contender this season, but its future became even brighter Sunday.

That is because highly regarded recruit VJ Edgecombe joined the Bears' 2024 recruiting class, per The Athletic's Tobias Bass.

Tobias Bass @tobias_bass

BREAKING: 5⭐️ V.J. Edgecombe has committed to Baylor <br><br>He is averaging 18.6 points this season at <a href="">@LuHiBasketball</a> <br><br>He will join a long line of successful guards who picked Baylor before heading to the NBA. The 6'5 SG reminds of Victor Oladipo and will be a ton of fun to watch In… <a href="">

It was thought to be a three-team race for some time between Duke, Baylor and Kentucky, but Joe Tipton of On 3 reported Saturday that the Wildcats were no longer under realistic consideration. That left the Blue Devils and Bears, and the latter earned quite the recruiting win.

Edgecombe, who checks in at 6'5", is a 5-star prospect and the No. 5 overall player, No. 2 shooting guard and No. 1 player in New York from his class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

His size and athleticism mean he can impact the game in a number of ways.

Defensively, he can defend multiple positions on the wing and create opportunities on the other end with his quickness. Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports called him "a terror in transition who puts a ton of pressure on the rim and can rise-up for the type of highlight finishes that few others can make."

In addition to those high-flying dunks that will surely fire up the crowd at the collegiate level, Edgecombe can hit from mid-range and extend his game beyond the arc.

Finkelstein also pointed to his improvement as a ball-handler and facilitator, which should help him play a key role for his new team as soon as he arrives on campus.

This is a massive win on the recruiting trail for Baylor, and not just because of the caliber of program head coach Scott Drew was competing against.

The Bears are laying the foundation for their future with a class that now looks much deeper in overall game-changing talent. Small forward Jason Asemota is a 5-star prospect, while point guard Rob Wright is a 4-star player in that group.

With Edgecombe now on board, there are three foundational players arriving who can help Baylor compete for a Big 12 title and a deep NCAA tournament run in their freshman season.