Will James Jr. has been one of the hottest names in North Carolina over the past three months, earning 16 D1 offers since May 22nd. I talked with him about his summer, his game, and his recruitment to see where things stand as we come out of the dead period.
Summer Breakout
Talk to me about this summer and how your stock kind of exploded with SW15H Elite and Holly Springs. What was that experience like and how did both situations benefit you, your recruitment, and your development?
“The summer going into my junior year at Holly Springs, I knew it was all or nothing. We lost some great pieces to our roster from the year before so I knew I had to step up and fill a big role. I saw an opportunity to blossom and be a leader so I took on that role. In the AAU season, I played with other high level guys with the same scoring ability as me, so I knew in order to set myself apart I would have to adopt the role of making winning plays and getting teammates involved, which I am no stranger too considering I played with a talented, veteran Holly Springs team the year prior.”
“I feel that Coach Wood (SW15H) and Coach Hepp (HSHS) really did a great job of getting my name out there and getting coaches to watch me. It was really on me to go out and compete and set myself apart from other recruits. Coach Wood gave me a great opportunity on the UA Rise circuit to showcase my skills and play in front of high level coaches, which I am super grateful for.”
Strengths and Weaknesses in His Game
Describe your game for me. What do you see as some of your strengths and weaknesses? What areas of your game have you been targeting for improvement this summer?
“I would say I have a pretty fundamental play style, there’s nothing too flashy about the way I play. I would say I just make the right winning basketball play everytime down the court, offensively and defensively. Some of my strengths would be my shooting and ability to get a paint touch whenever I want. Using my frame and body to bump smaller guards out of the way is another one of my strong suits as well. I think the most overlooked part of my game is my passing and the way I make reads out of the P&R.”
“One of my weaknesses I would say is not having the quickest handle and lightning speed like smaller guards. However, I feel like I use my dribbles productively to get to my spots and comfortably run the offense without being affected by pesky defenders. It’s something I’ve been working on since my poor point guard debut in the John Wall Holiday in 2022.”
Official Visit Schedule
8/21-8/23: Indiana State
8/25-8/26: Wofford
9/5-9/8: Boston U
9/12-9/15: Eastern Kentucky
9/20-9/22: Elon
Toledo
“I took my official visit to Toledo back in June. The main thing for Toledo is their winning culture. Seeing over time what Coach Kowalczyk has done there with his players’ development and growth, even turning around the program completely going from sub .500 seasons to winning the MAC every year the last 4 years is incredible to me. Seeing their playstyle, how they play tough and fast paced on Offense. Their defense is scrappy and aggressive and they love guards like me to pressure up on ball handlers, attack the boards and get out and run. So I think their play style is really attractive to me and I would fit right in to how they play. On top of playstyle, the relationships I’ve built over the past few months with most of the coaches is just really special and means something when thinking of who would have my best interest and bring me in like family over these next 4 years of my basketball journey. They have given great feedback and have not sugar coated anything since the day they first reached out to me.”
Indiana State
“Seeing how they develop their players. That’s been one main thing for me. And then just coach Johnson and coach Graves, they do a great job up there. They are heavy contenders to win the MVC every year so just seeing how I could be a part of that as a point guard and just playing in the MVC would be a blessing. And then just the relationship that I have with the coaching staff up there as well. In Terre Haute, they have a great support system. The student sections I’ve played in front of in my 2 years on varsity have been insane but playing in front of 7,000 consistently at home is something that would be 10 times more exciting. You really feed off the crowd’s energy, I know I do when I’m in a crowded game. They have like a 9,000 seat arena so it doesn’t get much better than that at the mid major level.
Wofford
“Wofford’s academics really stood out to me when learning about the program and how they set their athletes up for success beyond basketball. The relationship i’ve built with coach Perry over the last month means alot to me, we probably talk 4 times a week about things not related to recruitment and basketball at all. Another thing about Wofford is that they do not bring in Grad transfers and players rarely transfer out. For them to be recruiting me as a guy they want for 4 years and won’t recruit over me is something special and meaningful in today’s age of college basketball. I’m really just excited to get down there and see what the culture and campus life is about come this fall.”
Boston U
Boston U is another place where the Academics and campus life is a huge plus to their program. Coach Jones’ history there at BU is super intriguing to me. Playing under a coach that is super familiar with how to win and how to build and maintain a winning culture is super important to me. Their playstyle is exactly how I play. Back in February I watched a game on ESPN+ and it was like I could see myself in their guards. Boston U is surrounded by plenty of other schools in the area and on top of that Boston is a huge city and the idea of being in a city around plenty of other students my age just sounds incredible to me.
Eastern Kentucky
“EKU was one of those schools that the relationship just got me. Once I started talking to Coach Clark and Coach Ham, I was able to see how their offense is designed to play 4 guards at once.Everyone on the court is a threat to “Dribble, pass, and shoot” They have a lot of guard minded coaches on their staff and they aren’t afraid to play young point guards. I think for me, just seeing how I can come in and impact the game right away there. That was something where I was like ‘I really like this’. . And then just the relationship I have with the coaches. They’ve really made me feel like a priority for sure. They’ve discussed their plan for success for me and that’s something that’s really intriguing to me. They definitely would be in it for me in the long run and are trying to set me up to be in the position possible for my career.
Elon
“Obviously they’re right in my backyard being only an hour away, but that’s just a plus to them. Even if you took the location out of it, they would still be on this list. Just because of the way their coaching staff has recruited me, the relationship I have with them. They reach out to me on a daily / weekly basis. Just reaching out a lot so I have a really good relationship with all of them. Just seeing how they develop their players and how they thrive in their system. Then Elon as a school, they have some good programs that I’m super interested in for me to further my career beyond basketball. They’ve shown me a few former players who have majored in the same thing I’m interested in and have made it big through the program that they provide there at Elon. The coaches even acknowledging my interest in that profession is just really motivating to me and shows me that they care more about me and my future rather than just caring about trying to recruit me strictly as a basketball player.
Decision Timeline & What He’s Looking For
Ultimately, what factors will help you make your decision, what are you looking for in a program, and when do you plan to make your decision?
“I want to go to a program where I can grow as a player and a person and get a good education. I want to go somewhere that has a good support system and will bring me in and treat me like family right away. I want to be where I can develop as a player and get ready for that next level. I also want to be in a place where I can win. I plan on committing by the end of September.”