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Courtney James and The Career That Was
By Ben Noble
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/246794?referrer_id=388419
The Career That Was is a new GopherHole series dedicated to digging up the professional careers, both major and minor, of former Gophers players. This series of articles will supplement the ongoing Where Are They Now series. Have a Gopher with a pro career you want to see written up here? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Courtney James came to the Gophers as a 6'8” wide-bodied bruiser, an Indianapolis high school stud who had led Ben Davis High School to the legendary Indiana state championship. James may have had the body of a man as a teen, but his head hadn't matured as quickly as his body: he was suspended and expelled multiple times as a prep player, and he had a reputation already at Ben Davis High School as a star who more often played to the level of his competition rather than set the bar himself.
As a freshman at Minnesota, James started 30 games at power forward under then-coach Clem Haskins, a 1995-96 squad that featured Sam Jacobson, Bobby Jackson, John Thomas and Quincy Lewis. The team made it to the second round of the NIT, a minor accomplishment that would be vacated due to an academic fraud scandal revealed publicly three years later.
Eric Harris emerged the following season to team with Jackson in the backcourt, and the Gophers managed one of the finest seasons in Minnesota history, compiling a 31-4 record, capturing the Big Ten crown and making it to the Final Four before losing to eventual runner-up Kentucky. Though those accomplishments were later officially rescinded, James led the team in rebounds and blocks, and provided the physical presence necessary to win within the Big Ten, a conference that, at the time, was considered the most physically close to the NBA game. And then it all fell apart.
James was suspended for the entire 1997-98 season following a domestic assault charge for hitting his girlfriend in the face with her address book. He was convicted of intending to cause fear but acquitted of attempting to cause physical harm, and was sentenced to two days of community service and counseling.
The Career That Was
With his daughter Kourtney on the way, James chose to play professionally for Larissa, of the Greek League, rather than sit out his suspension. He lasted all of nine games in Europe, put on 40 pounds, and spent most of the rest of 1998 “doing nothing.”
James reemerged back stateside the following season, playing for Keith Smart of the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA. In what would have been his senior season, James could have been banging on the front line alongside Joel Przybilla. Instead, he averaged a pedestrian 7.8 points and 6.3 boards in 53 games for the Fury. “I wish I was still in school,” James told the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda at the time. “If I had to do it all over again, I would be.”
James projected as a classic NBA 'tweener, not tall enough for power forward, not quick enough for the three. But, he was still a physical force to be reckoned with, and Smart reported that James, still only 22 years old, became more consistent and less passive as the two worked together. That might not have been enough for NBA stardom, but it was more than enough to allow James to earn a paycheck playing basketball until he was close to 30.
After the Fury, James made stops with the Gary Steelheads and Dakota Wizards, both of the CBA, then headed back to Europe to play for Ludwigsburg, of the German League. Again, Europe didn't agree with James and, after two games, he returned stateside once again, this time to play in the USBL for the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs and St. Louis Skyhawks. His final playing destination, as far as I can tell, was in his fifth professional league in about as many seasons: James averaged 9.2 point and 8.2 rebounds in 2003-04 for the Columbus Riverdragons of the D-League.
James was a stud in high school, an exciting and intriguing recruit for the Gophers, and there always seemed to be this suggestion that he could have been better than he was. He made some dumb mistakes before he was old enough to legally drink, but when all is said and done, Courtney James won an Indiana state championship and a Big Ten title, played in the Final Four, and paid his bills for a decade playing basketball all over the world.
Ben Noble is a U of M graduate and Minneapolis-based writer, editor and photojournalist. You can follow the Twins with him here and follow him on Twitter at @TheBenNoble.
By Ben Noble
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/246794?referrer_id=388419
The Career That Was is a new GopherHole series dedicated to digging up the professional careers, both major and minor, of former Gophers players. This series of articles will supplement the ongoing Where Are They Now series. Have a Gopher with a pro career you want to see written up here? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Courtney James came to the Gophers as a 6'8” wide-bodied bruiser, an Indianapolis high school stud who had led Ben Davis High School to the legendary Indiana state championship. James may have had the body of a man as a teen, but his head hadn't matured as quickly as his body: he was suspended and expelled multiple times as a prep player, and he had a reputation already at Ben Davis High School as a star who more often played to the level of his competition rather than set the bar himself.
As a freshman at Minnesota, James started 30 games at power forward under then-coach Clem Haskins, a 1995-96 squad that featured Sam Jacobson, Bobby Jackson, John Thomas and Quincy Lewis. The team made it to the second round of the NIT, a minor accomplishment that would be vacated due to an academic fraud scandal revealed publicly three years later.
Eric Harris emerged the following season to team with Jackson in the backcourt, and the Gophers managed one of the finest seasons in Minnesota history, compiling a 31-4 record, capturing the Big Ten crown and making it to the Final Four before losing to eventual runner-up Kentucky. Though those accomplishments were later officially rescinded, James led the team in rebounds and blocks, and provided the physical presence necessary to win within the Big Ten, a conference that, at the time, was considered the most physically close to the NBA game. And then it all fell apart.
James was suspended for the entire 1997-98 season following a domestic assault charge for hitting his girlfriend in the face with her address book. He was convicted of intending to cause fear but acquitted of attempting to cause physical harm, and was sentenced to two days of community service and counseling.
The Career That Was
With his daughter Kourtney on the way, James chose to play professionally for Larissa, of the Greek League, rather than sit out his suspension. He lasted all of nine games in Europe, put on 40 pounds, and spent most of the rest of 1998 “doing nothing.”
James reemerged back stateside the following season, playing for Keith Smart of the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA. In what would have been his senior season, James could have been banging on the front line alongside Joel Przybilla. Instead, he averaged a pedestrian 7.8 points and 6.3 boards in 53 games for the Fury. “I wish I was still in school,” James told the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda at the time. “If I had to do it all over again, I would be.”
James projected as a classic NBA 'tweener, not tall enough for power forward, not quick enough for the three. But, he was still a physical force to be reckoned with, and Smart reported that James, still only 22 years old, became more consistent and less passive as the two worked together. That might not have been enough for NBA stardom, but it was more than enough to allow James to earn a paycheck playing basketball until he was close to 30.
After the Fury, James made stops with the Gary Steelheads and Dakota Wizards, both of the CBA, then headed back to Europe to play for Ludwigsburg, of the German League. Again, Europe didn't agree with James and, after two games, he returned stateside once again, this time to play in the USBL for the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs and St. Louis Skyhawks. His final playing destination, as far as I can tell, was in his fifth professional league in about as many seasons: James averaged 9.2 point and 8.2 rebounds in 2003-04 for the Columbus Riverdragons of the D-League.
James was a stud in high school, an exciting and intriguing recruit for the Gophers, and there always seemed to be this suggestion that he could have been better than he was. He made some dumb mistakes before he was old enough to legally drink, but when all is said and done, Courtney James won an Indiana state championship and a Big Ten title, played in the Final Four, and paid his bills for a decade playing basketball all over the world.
Ben Noble is a U of M graduate and Minneapolis-based writer, editor and photojournalist. You can follow the Twins with him here and follow him on Twitter at @TheBenNoble.
