STARKVILLE — Jerica James has had her share of auditions this season.
Some have been cameos — one-minute appearances in which she has entered a game to give a teammate a break — while others have stretched into double digits, including a performance in an overtime victory against the University of Mississippi.
James’ goal is to continue to develop the consistency she needs to become a fixture in the Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s lineup. The 5-foot-5 freshman from North Little Rock, Ark., showed Sunday she is on track to accomplishing that goal, scoring a career-high 12 points in her first career start in a 67-53 loss to the University of Arkansas.
“I think JJ has the potential to be a good leader,” MSU coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said. “I was watching the Tennessee film the other day and I saw her in transition really communicating in a very aggressive way to Diamber getting down the court in terms of coverage. I complimented her because we needed that communication.”
James played 20 minutes, the second highest this season, and grabbed three rebounds, had one assist, and made two turnovers.
James will try to help MSU (14-13, 4-10 Southeastern Conference) end a two-game slide at 6 tonight when it takes on the University of Florida (17-10, 7-7) at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.
James was 0 of 7 from the field in the 57-41 loss to Tennessee on Feb. 16. But her 18-minute stint was the second of three consecutive games in which she had played double-digit minutes. Her emergence has come after she played nine or fewer minutes in the previous seven games.
Fanning-Otis said James is working on becoming more consistent and learning how to play through mistakes. She said those are essential qualities the team needs from a point guard, especially one who will be looked to to lead the team and to be tough.
“She seems to stick her nose in there and try to get inside the defense,” Fanning-Otis said. “She sees people and anticipates where that pass is going to be. Those are important skills for a guard to have because you need to have courage to attack somebody, and you need to have vision and see what you’re making happen and see where people are.”
James said those are all things she has learned this season. She said development has been the focal point following a high school career at North Little Rock High School in which she led the team to a 28-1 record. James averaged 10 points and 3.5 assists and was named Arkansas’ Player of the Year. She also earned All-State honors and was a McDonald’s All-America nominee.
James said she has adjusted to not having to do as much on the court at MSU, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t willing. James’ ability to break down defenses and get the ball to the rim has earned her more playing time this month, and she plans to continue to play with that aggressiveness.
“I have become a better person in terms of me seeking out what the team needs,” James said. “It is my instinct to take over the team. I think I have earned the trust of my teammates on and off the court.”
That role likely will increase after this season. Diamber Johnson (15.2 points per game) and Porsha Porter (13.1 ppg.) lead the team in scoring, but they are in their last season in the program. James and sophomore Katia May likely will compete for opportunities in the final two regular-season games and for as long as the team survives in the SEC tournament on March 1-4 in Nashville, Tenn.
Next season, James and May should be the top candidates to take over the point guard role. Fanning-Otis’ announcement Monday that she will retire at the end of the season likely means all of the Lady Bulldogs will have to prove themselves to a new coach. But that doesn’t faze James because this season has been all about proving herself, and she feels she has performed well and has shown she can be a team leader.
“Before I am successful in the game, I have to feel like my teammates are involved,” James said. “Getting my teammates involved brings out my game. That is the biggest thing I worry about going into the game.”
That mentality has helped James’ average climb to 9.1 minutes per game. She is averaging only 1.7 ppg., but she is one of two players on the team (Johnson is the other) to have more assists than turnovers (28 to 19). That is a telling statistic because MSU is last in the SEC in assists (274), 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.6), and tied for 11th in scoring (58.1 ppg.).
James’ goal is to do whatever she can to help change those numbers. She helped affect a change Feb. 12 when she played a season-high 23 minutes and helped MSU rally for a 53-50 OT win against Ole Miss at Humphrey Coliseum. James was 2 of 11 from the field, but she had one assist, two steals, and zero turnovers to help the team rally from a double-digit deficit in the second half.
James said she has developed more confidence as a shooter and understands she needs to be aggressive looking for her shot and moving in the half-court offense to be a threat and to be someone who can create chances for her teammates. She also wants to do what she can to help send Fanning-Otis out with a smile on her face.
“I don’t want to just give up on it and say, ‘Oh, next year will come,’ ” James said. “Giving it my all these last few games is something I am willing to work toward doing to make sure she is happy going out. I know that is what she wants out of me. She always told me she wants the best out of me, so that is what I am going to give. As for the coaches coming in, I hope they can see that as well, and see the potential my teammates have and that they want to give their best, too.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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