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Michigan basketball in contact with Louisville transfer Mike James

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•03/29/24•

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Mike James
(Photo by Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

New Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Dusty May has reached out to Louisville transfer Mike James, according to ZagsBlog. He redshirted his first year with the Cardinals and played in 64 games the last two, giving him two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Since entering the transfer portal March 26, the 6-foot-5, 200-pounder has also been contacted by Florida State, Butler, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, UCF and others. An Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge product, James chose Louisville (under then-head man Chris Mack) over fellow finalists Texas A&M and Virginia Tech as a recruit in the 2021 class.

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James was third on his team in scoring with 12.6 points per game last season. He added 5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 33.3 minutes per game. He shot 42.6 percent on twos (84-of-197), 34 percent on threes (36-of-106) and 81.8 percent on free throws (126-of-154). He drew 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes, with one of his strengths being able to get to the free throw line.

James mostly played off the ball as a spot-up player last season, often either shooting jumpers or driving to his left. Per Synergy, he generated 0.799 points per possession in spot-up situations, 1.299 in transition and 1.121 from cuts in 2023-24.

James shot 34 percent for the season on catch-and-shoot threes, including a 46.3-percent figure when he was unguarded. He converted on 50.4 percent of his shots at the rim, which make up 45.5 percent of his field goal attempts.

Louisville fired head coach Kenny Payne after an 8-24 season — a record identical to that of Michigan, which let go of head man Juwan Howard.

The Orlando native averaged 10.1 points, 3.3 boards and 1.1 assists per clash as a redshirt freshman in 2022-23. He shot 52.2 percent on twos (71-of-136) and 35.7 percent on threes (35-of-98).

James is one of many Louisville players to enter the portal after this season and the coaching change.

“First off, I’d like to thank Louisville for these past few years,” James said in a statement to On3 after entering the portal. “I have grown as a player and a person thanks to my coaches and this community. I wouldn’t be the player I am without you all. I am forever grateful. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal to explore other opportunities for my basketball career. Thank you Card Nation.”

A four-star prospect, James was the No. 82 overall player in the 2021 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

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