Mike James can do ‘so many things’ for Louisville basketball

Before he was injured prior to last season, true freshman Mike James had impressed those around the University of Louisville basketball camp.

James was being talked about as not only a guy who could help the team but perhaps the best all-around player on the team. And then on Oct. 6 of 2021, James suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice and missed the entire season.

“It’s very frustrating,” James said in February. “This is the first major injury that has ever kept me out for a while.”

But now the 6-foot-5, 215-pound versatile prospect from Orlando, Fla., is back and he’s a guy that new U of L coach Kenny Payne is expecting a lot from this season. James will be used in a number of different ways, including helping out in the backcourt for the Cardinals.

“He’s the type of kid that you put him on the floor and don’t worry about a position,” Payne said during ACC Media Day this week in Charlotte, N.C. “You’re handicapping him by saying that he’s a position. He’s more than that. He can defend, he can score, he can post, he can drive, he’s emotional, and he’s all about his teammates.

“He’s the consummate winner for this program, and I love him because of that. I want guys that believe in the team. I want guys that they may not understand what it is but there is something about them that is about the team. He is a giver. He is a giver.”

James averaged 19.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocked shots a game as a senior at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando two years ago. He spent a long time rehabilitating his injury and was released for full go by the doctors earlier this fall.

Payne said he is healthy and U of L point guard El Ellis said he expects James to be a big key for this team.

“Mike James is healthy and he’s so versatile,” Ellis said. “He’s going to be big for us this season.”

Added Sydney Curry: “Mike will play a big role, he can do so many things out there for us.”

Payne had a connection with James prior to coming to Louisville. His high school and AAU coach, Steve Reece, is a close friend of Payne’s, and another close friend of Payne’s – Kevin Knox Sr. – helps run his former AAU team – the Florida Rebels.

So, Payne had heard about his talents and now has seen those talents and even more from James.

“His spirit has been unbelievable,” Payne said. “I am more about spirit, I am more about chemistry, I am more about character.

“His want to is unbelievable. I am. excited for Mike.:

In high school, James was the 2020-21 Orlando Sentinel boys basketball player of the year, he was also voted Class 7A Player of the Year in Florida by a panel of coaches and media. He picked Louisville over Alabama, Arkansas, NC State, and Texas A&M among his final choices.