6’5” 2018 Torey James
Charlotte Royals 17s
By Jamie Shaw
Torey James walks onto the court looking like a player. He carries long arms and a very athletic looking frame. Once he starts playing, James leaves no doubt as to whether or not he can play.
James’ biggest calling card may be his versatility his high school coach, Andy Poplin (Hickory High School) says, “We were able to do a lot of things with Torey this year. He played him at the one and the three, equally. He gave us a lot of looks especially when our main point guard went down. He’s talented.”
He gives his team a lot of different looks. Because he is a good athlete and he is able to get downhill or score the ball with range. When playing on the ball, James is never rushed. Getting things going out of the half court and uses great vision to distribute the ball and get his team mates open.
James is an alum of the NC Phenom 150 exposure camp. After watching him peform against numerous prospects from all over the region we wrote, “James is a power guard who give you points in a lot of ways. He has great size and strength for his position at 6’4, about 200 pounds and he uses it to his advantage. Torey is an attacker of the paint off the bounce who uses his size to overpower smaller guards. We watched him do this time and time again. He is also a good rebounder and a very good passer from the guard spot.”
It was apparent to everyone in attendance that James just made plays. During his junior year at Hickory High School, James averaged 13.2 points, 5 boards and 3 assists per game. He also shot 82% from the free throw line and 51% from the field.
National analyst Patrick Obrien wrote, “James was one that caught my eye early in Game 1. He has nice size but his athleticism, and motor really grabbed the eye. He just was a flat out play maker, whether it was passing the ball, attacking the rim, or using his jumper. Very productive.”
As things stand, Torey James does not have much going on with regards to recruiting. However, that should change. He is someone Division 1 schools should be looking closely at this April.