James brings 1A interest to area 

Updated: April 29, 2011 2:00PM

High school fans in the Chicago area usually don’t follow Class 1A basketball. Since the expansion to four classes in 2008, the Class 1A state championship in Peoria typically has involved teams from outside the area and hasn’t gained much support from local followers.

Now that Hope Academy’s Jalen James is emerging as a budding star, area fans have a reason to keep tabs on the smallest class in the state. James, a 6-3 point guard,
averaged 16 points and nine assists for an Eagles team that advanced to the sectional final before losing to eventual state champion Newark.

James now is playing the spring AAU season with the Illinois Wolves. He is surrounded by a talented group of players that includes St. Charles East’s Kendall Stephens, Bartlett’s Lance Whitaker and York’s David Cohn.

‘‘It’s fun; I like playing with [the Wolves] a lot,’’ James said. ‘‘We play hard, and we win. It’s fun getting everyone involved. I don’t look to score all the time, but when I have to, I will. I like getting my teammates the ball.’’

A strong sophomore season and a great start to the AAU season have college programs interested in James. He said Baylor and Cleveland State have offered scholarships and Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Xavier, Dayton, DePaul, Missouri and Tennessee have shown interest.

James watched games at Illinois and DePaul during the season and also plans to visit Michigan and attend its elite camp in June.

Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi saw James play last weekend at an event in Merrillville, Ind., and thought he played well.

‘‘Jalen is a nice-sized point with speed and athleticism,’’ Bossi said. ‘‘He’s quick off the bounce, has a sense for where his teammates are and scores enough to demand
respect. He has the look of a potential high-major [recruit], so it’s not a surprise that he’s already being evaluated by some big-name schools.’’

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