Recruiting Report: James Nelson
Salem Hills is a relatively new school in comparison to a number of other schools they play against. With that said, they have found a way to have success with their basketball program. One of the big reasons for the success of the program is James Nelson. Nelson, who is a talented two sport athlete, is one of the most productive and efficient players in the state.
James Nelson High School
Nelson was one of the leading scorers in the state. In addition, he contributed over 3 assists and 8 rebounds per game. His ability to impact the game in an array of ways makes him an interesting prospect at the next level and makes him dominant at the high school level.
In addition to being extremely skilled, Nelson is 6’5 and brings great length to the wing. At the high school level, his toughness and size enables him to play anywhere from the 2-4. At the college level, he is more so going to fit in at the 2 or 3. He has a solid enough handle that he could share some point guard duties.
As far as this season is concerned, Nelson hopes to “win region” and “make a run at the state championship”. Personally, he is hoping to “average a double-double”. Last year, he was extremely close. In order for Salem Hills to reach his team goals, he will probably need to average close to a double-double in order for them to do so.
Nelson noted that he is not concerned with his offense as that “will take care of itself”. However, he stated that he wants to focus more on leadership and defense. He feels that these are two areas that will impact his team’s success and afford him the opportunity to have another big season.
Lastly, Nelson feels that he has had a “very good” high school experience. His friends and teammates have contributed to this greatly as he noted that they keep him “grounded”.
James Nelson College Interest
In regards to colleges, Nelson has received offers from “SLCC” and “George Fox”. In addition, he has received interest from “Dixie” and went on a visit to “Northwest Nazerene”.
His biggest concern for whichever college he chooses is education. His ultimate goal is to become a lawyer. Thus, he wants to attend a university that has a major that will assist him with accomplishing that. His current GPA is a “3.2”. In addition to education, he expressed an interest in a school “where I can grow and play good basketball”.
As far as what he has worked on the most, he stated his “footwork”. He has also put a lot of time into improving his “ball handling” and “on ball defense”. His goal has been to make his game more complete and to add more versatility. If he is able to do these two things, he could be a very talented basketball player at the next level.
Nelson is a proven and capable scorer who can do an array of things. He brings a solid skill set as well as size to the wing. In addition, he stated that he brings, “Leadership” as well as a “[winning] mentality”. He wants to do whatever it takes to win games. Nelson is a solid prospect who is worth a look from a number of next level suitors.