Dick Weiss on College Basketball

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Oklahoma basketball was a personal showcase for Trae Young during his only college season in 2018.

The Sooners’ Steve Nash-like 6-2 guard, a consensus first team All American, was the only player ever to lead college basketball in scoring and assists, averaging 27.4 points and 8.6 assists for an NCAA team. Young didn’t stay around long enough to build a legacy. He declared for the NBA draft and was selected sixth overall in the first round by Dallas, then traded to the Atlanta Hawks, where he is becoming an emerging star.

Oklahoma’s veteran coach Lon Kruger, the first coach to take five different schools to the NCAA tournament, fortunately has enough resources to fill the void.  The Sooners are one of the oldest teams in college basketball, with eight seniors and fifth year players including 6-4 senior guard Christian James, his newest star who has a shot to become a first round pick himself.

James, who was a backup to high scoring consensus first team All American guard Buddy Hield, who averaged 25 points as a senior, led the Sooners to the Final Four, won the Wooden Award and was selected by New Orleans with the sixth pick overall in the 2016 draft; when he was a freshman and played with Young as a junior. So, he has witnessed great scorers in action.

Now, it’s James turn to step onto center stage.

James lit up the Garden last night, scoring 25 points on 10 of 19 shots, making three 3’s and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Sooners (7-1) outscored Notre Dame, 85-80, in the feature game of the ESPN’s Jimmy V. Classic. James made the biggest impact against Mike Brey’s youngest team in 20 years. He also added spice to a doubleheader that did not have a ranked team and was banking on the young Irish, a national brand name whose football team just played Syracuse in Yankee Stadium, to boost what turned out to be a small week day crowd.

“He was a MAN,’’ Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “That was NBA stuff he was doing out there, rising up for threes and mid-range jumpers.’’

James, who averaged 11.9 points as a junior, is feeling his way into his new role. “I don’t feel like it’s my team,’’ he said. “I just try to step up and help my teammates make plays. That’s the biggest thing. It’s special in this building. This is my first time ever being in New York, so to do what I did, it’s special and I’ll always remember this.’’

James is averaging just under 20 points for a team that is playing arguably the toughest non-league schedule in the country. The Sooners have already played Florida, Wisconsin and Dayton in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas and have games left with Wichita State and Northwestern on the road and USC and Creighton before Christmas.

“Christian is doing a fantastic job,’’ Kruger said. “He got in foul trouble the last game (against North Texas), but otherwise, the other seven games he’s been lights out. He’s been terrific, not just making shots, but making good basketball plays. Defensively he’s doing a good job as well, so he’s giving us consistently good performances every night.’’

The biggest difference in James game has been his improved shooting efficiency. He is shooting 50 percent from the field and over 43 percent from three-point range. “My teammates have been the key to my success,’’ James said. “They tell me to be aggressive. I try to pick and choose my spots. The shots that I take, I try to be very efficient and make sure I hit them.

“When I shoot, I don’t really worry percentages. I shoot to make shots, not necessarily for percentages. I feel like that’s helped me with my results and has been the key to why I’m shooting so well.

“I embrace it.  Every night’s not going to be my night. There’s going to be some nights when we need other players to step up. When they have the hot hand, just give it to them. Same for me. I love it.’’

Notre Dame (6-2) got 16 points from senior guard TJ Gibbs, a former Seton Hall Prep star, who is one of two returning starters for the Irish, who are still a work in progress. “An older team played older tonight,’’ Brey said. “Oklahoma is an older group and they played older than us.’’

Dick Weiss on College Basketball