“I wanna be truly among the best”: Duke star Sion James highlights intentions going into 2024 college basketball season
One of the reasons why the Duke Blue Devils opted for Sion James in the transfer portal is his consistent growth. The guard has nearly tripled his production from his freshman year, averaging 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks for the Tulane Green Wave last season.
In his final year at Duke, James is committed to excelling as a player on both offense and defense. He expressed his ambitious mindset for the upcoming 2024–25 season in the 29th episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, which was released on July 17th.
“Really what I want to do is just dominate the paint, I've been a pretty good finisher, pretty good playmaker down there,” James said. “But I want to be truly among the best in the country at finishing in the paint and making plays for my teammates in the paint. Always becoming a better shooter because that is the way that the game is going.”
“And really, I want to dominate in the paint and then, be the best player," he added. "Be the best defensive player on the team. Be the best defensive player in the conference, in the country. I feel like those are things that I have the ability to do right now then ill continue to work on every single day. By championship time, I'm ready to go.
Sion James’ drive might be exactly what coach Jon Scheyer could be anticipating from his players before the season begins in November. Duke will be one of the most-watched teams in the nation this year, especially after the inclusion of Cooper Flagg.
The top recruit in the 2024 class was the youngest participant in Team USA’s scrimmage earlier this month, which possibly extended his fan base to the global stage.
What could be Sion James' role at Duke in the 2024–25 season?
The 21-year-old will be on his biggest basketball stage with the Blue Devils. A complete command of offense will be hard to come by because of Flagg. Moreover, Tyrese Proctor also returns for another year as the primary point guard. Nevertheless, Sion James will receive plenty of court time, be it in the starting lineup, off the bench or as the sixth man.
James filled the spot of veteran role player that Scheyer desperately needed to fill after Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell’s departure. Even though Sion James is not a red-hot shooter, he can still hold defenses accountable for leaving him open.
James’ usage will be heavily seen on the other end of the floor as he will be handed tasks to pester opposing ball handlers and big wings and deny shooters, albeit with solid help defense in the paint.