One of the most respected journalists in college basketball is CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, who spends his offseason traveling the nation to watch programs practice.
On Thursday, Rothstein took a trip to see Wes Miller’s Cincinnati Bearcats and mentioned one key player receiving “palpable buzz” ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Rothstein highlighted sophomore guard Jizzle James, son of legendary NFL running back Edgerrin James, by saying, “Palpable Buzz at Cincinnati regarding Jizzle James. Broke out a bit last year during the Postseason NIT. A bigger breakout feels inevitable in 2024-25.”
James committed to join Cincinnati in the Class of 2023 as one of the nation’s premier four-star prospects. He was listed by the 247Sports index as the nation’s 60th-ranked prospect, the 11th-ranked player at his position, and the sixth-ranked player in the state of Florida.
As a freshman in 2023, James had a breakout season in his 19.3 minutes per game. The Florida native averaged 8.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game in his first season of college basketball on a Cincinnati team that finished 22-15 overall.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, James is expected to be a major aspect of Wes Miller’s squad. The team retained players like Dan Skillings Jr., Day Day Thomas, Aziz Bandaogo, Simas Lukosius, and more. They also added talent through the transfer portal, like Texas’ Dillon Mitchell, USC’s Arrinten Page, and Bradley’s Connor Hickman.
Should Cincinnati make a run at a Big 12 title in the upcoming season, James will certainly be a huge part of their in-season success.
