Nigel James' stellar season has coaches calling
Nigel James was one of the most productive guards at the La Porte Invitational last weekend, despite sharing the court with a massive contingent of five-star prospects and top tier four-star prospects like V.J. Edgecombe, Jerry Easter, Darius Adams and Kayden Mingo.
James averaged 20 points and five assists a game for Long Island Lutheran in two wins and oftentimes served as the catalyst for the Crusaders, who are ranked No. 2 in the country, whether it was running the offense or scoring at-will on all three levels.
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 65
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Makes sense as to why he’s receiving the full-court recruitment press from top colleges.
Still, as it stands, James said there are four programs that he talks with more regularly.
“I’d say Marquette, Providence, Rutgers and Syracuse,” said James, a junior. “I talk to Alabama too, but those are the four I talk to most of the time. Right now, I’m just getting to know the coaching staffs and learning about how they do things.”
James has had ample opportunity to gather significant information on all four having taken visits to each school already.
“I won’t be taking any more visits during my season,” James said. “I’m focusing everything on winning a national title. I’m locked into that, so I’ll look at all of that stuff again after the season. I’m not worried about anything else right now.”
That includes being ranked outside of the top 100 in the Rivals150 for 2025.
As it stands, James checks in at No. 133 overall, a number that he’s letting his on-court production say should change in the near future.
“I don’t worry about all of that stuff,” James said. “Whether it’s high or low, doesn’t matter to me. I just try to focus on working hard and getting better and learning. With my recruitment, I’m still wide open. I just want to see where things go, and who jumps in and things like that. I’m not in a big rush at this point.”