3 things to love about Louisville basketball’s newest commit

A blossoming offensive game that will only get better

On the outset, there are a few things that stand out immediately about James; He has excellent size, he is an offensive aggressor, and he is extremely athletic.

James embraces impact on offense. He goes extremely aggressively to the basket, and though he doesn’t necessarily seek out contact, he does not shy away from it either. In the modern game, there are the Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant’s and there are the James Harden and Luka Doncic’s’. There’s the smooth, crafty players that look to avoid contact. Then there are the players who embrace taking hits and finishing strong. Consider James the latter.

What stands out right away is that James is a great leaper and excellent finisher around the rim, but he doesn’t try to rely heavily on his athleticism to make wild plays. He meets the defender in the same way that you would on the playground calling your own fouls. He doesn’t flail his arms, let the ball get poked away, or try to intentionally draw a foul- He goes up strong consistently with two hands, and knows when to dunk and when to simply lay it in.

As is often the case at the high school level, James’ stats are incomplete. However, in games where his full stats are logged, he shot 53 percent from the floor during his sophomore year. In 30 games, he only finished in single-digits on four occasions.

James is an improving shooter with solid fundamentals. He shows balance and has a consistent shooting motion. He squares his feet and shoulders to the basket well, and he has a quick release from deep.

There are certainly areas where James could stand to improve. At the next level, he can play the 2-4 on offense, but you can tell that he has found a comfort zone being more of a power forward in high school. This has left much to be desired in the mid-range game. James works to get the ball in close to the basket and rarely faces up for any sort of jump shot inside the arc.

It’s this area of James’ offensive game that will be interesting to watch over the next 8-10 months before he arrives in Louisville. Can James develop some touch in the midrange and become a multi-versatile threat? If so, his ceiling is as a first-rounder.

James has quite a bit of room to build on his frame, and when he gets in a college weight program, his strength and explosiveness will improve. Still, he will not be able to bully people in the same way that he does in high school.

All in all, James shows a lot of promise and serves as a solid replacement for Bryce Hopkins.