James Is Now An Afterthought

By Zach Smart
for HOOPSADDICT.com

Published: June 17, 2009

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Dominic James was once a highly-touted guard at the top of the NCAA heap. His name was littered in columns canvassing who’s who in the Big East. The 5-foot-10 waterbug guard was ingrained as a Player to Watch. James’ mug grazed the cover of various college hoops magazines.

He evolved into the face of Marquette.

He was naturally included in the same conversation as ready-made players. As a sizzling sophomore, James’ stock was already being weighed on the NBA scale.

But James’ game has tailed off, significantly, since creating a mountain of hype and hyperbole his first two years at Marquette.

It seems like he was at Marquette forever, a catalyst of a formidable foursome which combined to score over 4,000 points.

James, however, hasn’t carried the tag of buzz saw the past two years.

Though the cheetah-quick, half-pint point guard was the facilitator, his scoring averaged dipped along with his rankings in other areas. His number of jaw-dropping moves and clutch shots declined.

A solid first-step, a solid physical makeup, and the ability to knife through defenders allow draft experts to liken his game to that of Will Bynum.

But there are some major holes in James games, all of which drowned his NBA stock the past two seasons.

These cheese-size holes are surefire shots to gut his chances of getting drafted.

James’ play became the watermark of inconsistency his senior year. His shooting woes stretch from beyond the arc to the free throw line.

At the free throw line, James shot a dreadful 46.1 percent. Consider that he’s a point guard, and few NBA teams will be willing to take such a risk.

A lukewarm 28.1 percent from three-point range also won’t help lure teams in.

Surely, a rec league coach would turn his nose at these numbers.

A successful tryout is an aspect so paramount to a last chance at success for the 22-year-old James.

The gurus at draftexpress.com compare James to Sebastian Telfair, who never answered to the hefty New York City hype his first few years in the league.

Telfair has altered his self-perception following his last two seasons with the Minnesota T-Wolves. The electrifying guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., he of the wowing, streetball-like flair, has averaged 9.5 points and 5.2 dimes the past two seasons.

Can James take the same pothole-filled road to success?

Can he erase his seesaw senior year and play meaningful minutes for some downtrodden franchise in need of another guard?

Following a a four-year seesaw stay at Marquette, where he helped sell incoming freshman Jeronne Maymon on the Golden Eagles this fall, James may be an afterthought in this year’s draft.

We shall see.

There’s still a glimmer of hope shining somwhere in the Indiana woodworks.

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James Is Now An Afterthought

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