St. John’s hosting 5-star stud Edgecombe

VJ Edgecombe wasn’t thinking too big. Three years ago, he left his home in The Bahamas for one simple reason.

“I just wanted to get a free education so my mom wouldn’t have to pay for college,” the five-star, 6-foot-5 guard from Long Island Lutheran told The Post. “I just wanted to have the opportunity to play the game.”

He didn’t know then how much his life would change. Only a few years after coming to America, Edgecombe has developed into one of the premier prospects in the country, a player with his choice of top schools. That free education is inevitable. The NBA feels likely, too.

A college coach familiar with the 18-year-old Edgecombe described him as a “high level athlete who is ascending rapidly. Good size, great kid, potential pro.” Edgecombe was the Gatorade Player of the Year in New York last season after averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game for loaded Long Island Lutheran. He was also the Player of the Year in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), one of the country’s toughest high school leagues, and was the MVP of the Adidas Eurocamp.

Leaving The Bahamas was a difficult decision, and now comes another one. Edgecombe has yet to pick a college. He has taken official visits to Florida, Duke, Kentucky and Baylor. Most experts believe Duke is the leader for Edgecombe. He would further elevate the Blue Devils’ top-ranked recruiting class that already features Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

He will take his fifth visit to St. John’s starting Saturday with his mother, Bendra Rolle, and brother, Lortario Rolle. They will attend the Johnnies’ game against Michigan on Monday at the Garden. Landing Edgecombe would be a seismic recruiting win for coach Rick Pitino and Co. He would be the highestrated prospect in the rankings era for St. John’s, and the first five-star it landed since Rysheed Jordan in 2013.