James is a heck of a ball player and one of the most consistent scorers you’ll find. Every time you watch him, he leaves you more impressed with his game. He’s an elite scorer at all three levels and a sneaky good athlete who surprises defenders with his quickness and bounce. Add in his competitiveness, intensity, and defensive energy, and James is the type of player who will stand out in this setting.

A point guard who flat out helps his team win during both the high school and grassroots season, James continues to impress me with his competitiveness, not backing down from any opposition. James was starting for a Toledo St John’s program that competes against some of the best teams in Toledo and Detroit in the Detroit Catholic League. This got James prepared for what he saw as the Ohio Buckets 16 U floor general as he helped them go unbeaten in EYCL play. Catch James at the Toledo Top 64 as he’ll be competing against the top talent from across northwest Ohio in one of the most competitive events in the Fall across Ohio.

Every time I watch James I end up liking him more and more. James was able to consistently create space off the dribble and liked the mid-range pull-up as his main scoring method in the first three quarters. During the Ohio Buckets big fourth quarter push, James was relentlessly getting to the paint off the dribble and causing the defense to react to him. There aren’t many players I’d take in the 2027 class to win a high school game over James right now and he continues to impress me against top competition with the Ohio Buckets this summer.

One of my favorite players to watch in Ohio’s 2027 class, James is one of the most impactful point guards at both ends of the court. I’ve never left a game disappointed with James effort and that really shows on the defensive end of the court. Offensively, James wants to push the pace and makes quick decisions to either attack off the bounce or pass to a teammate. With a few steals that turned into layups, a pair of righty scoop layups and a breakaway slam dunk, James was also generating his own offense on Friday in two big victories.

Of the two games I watched the 16U Buckets squad play James just fit his new role on this squad perfectly. He plays his tail off on defense and makes the opposing guard’s job extremely difficult. In the second game, the game started to turn a little chippy and physical and you could see this excited James. He wanted to play with the contact. He showed a competitive edge. Then offensively he was a great court general. He understands he needs to be a pass-first point guard for this squad. He excels in his role and this is something that can translate to the next level.

I thought James was exceptional for the Ohio Buckets 16 U group on Sunday as he was making plays in transition all day in what turned out to be an exciting victory over Tennessee Impact 3SSB. James does such a great job of decelerating in transition and using his body to seal potential shot blockers from behind. Another time James used a pump fake to let a defender fly by for an easy score and had multiple euro-steps that gave him easy looks at the rim. James is one of the best small guard finishers in Ohio as he has the touch, craftiness and feel to be efficient when he goes up with the trees surrounding him.

One of the top standouts at our Sophomore ID camp this fall, James does a lot of things that college coaches like to see. For starters, James is an elite defensive point guard with the ability to lock down on the ball. I also like how James sets the table for his team and is able to drive and kick to an open teammate. I have also been impressed with the year over year growth James has made, going from an energy bench option as a freshman to one of the leaders of the team as a Sophomore.

James is someone you watch and instantly become a fan of. He can do a little bit of it all and is a well-rounded player who has much that he will get better at since he is only a sophomore. He is an elite on-ball defender who has sneaky length. He applies great defensive pressure. He can get to the rim well and does a great job of scoring or dishing to teammates.

James was making plays that had me and others in the gym in disbelief. He is a point guard but does a great job of absorbing and dictating contact against defenders. He had multiple tough acrobatic finishes that showed off his great touch around the rim. He is a really good two-foot finisher. He was one of the only bright spots for this Titans squad on Tuesday night. He is just a nice physical hooper for a point guard. Highly skilled.

James showed his ability to get to different spots off the bounce when he would attack downhill. He gets paint touches at a high rate. He never seems to give up on a play and will constantly fight for the outcome he wants to occur. He tied for his team’s high in scoring with 14. He got the foul line often. James made plays for others throughout the game.