EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE men's basketball Head Coach Brian Barone continues to bolster his roster, adding junior college transfer Iziah James (Chesapeake, Virginia).
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James, a 6-foot, 180-pound point guard, comes to SIUE from Indian Hills Community College, where he averaged 11.5 points and 3.4 assists per game. He finished the season with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.0.
"We are excited to welcome Iziah to our team for next season," Barone said. "Anytime we can add a player that can shoot, take care of the ball, and defend we are excited. Iziah comes to us from a nationally respected junior college in Indiana Hills which finished ranked No. 12 in the country and earned a spot in the National Junior College Tournament. Iziah also won a state championship while in high school. Part of winning is recruiting winners. Iziah is a winner. He has a toughness and grit about his game that will fit in great with our 'Find A Way' mentality."
James connected on 46.9 percent of his shots, including 41 percent from three-point range, and 87.0 percent of his free throws, which ranked 18th in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
"I am excited to join the SIUE basketball family," James said. "When I made my visit, the family atmosphere and positivity around the program was very obvious to me and was something that I knew I wanted to be a part of. I can't wait to get on the floor with my teammates and do everything we can to have a great season next year. I love the atmosphere on campus and know that being at SIUE will help me do great things in my future as a student and as a basketball player."
Indian Hills finished the season 27-7 while advancing to the second round of the NJCAA Tournament.
"Iziah is a hard-working kid who loves to get better, compete, and help any team win," Indian Hills Head Coach Hank Plona said. "Fans will be able to see his passion on the floor, as he leaves it all on the court every night. He has been a pleasure to coach, and it has been a great year with him as he has continued to grow as a student, person, and player. I am looking forward to watching his continued success next year."
James has NCAA Division I experience as well, starting his college career at Cal-Poly, where he played in 26 games as a true freshman.
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