Wyoming’s Star Wing Cracks The Top Five

James was among the most improved players in the conference last season

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James could record the highest usage in the conference this year

Coming up in the #5 slot in the MWC Wire Basketball Countdown is Wyoming wing Justin James.

The Cowboys star jumped onto the scene last season after a limited first season in a Wyoming uniform. He saw sizable increases in almost all statistical categories, as his slash line went from 5.1/2.1/0.8 as a freshman to 16.0/5.0/2.2 as a sophomore. More importantly, though, is James’ rise in efficiency. He went from a lesser role as an inefficient player to a huge role as a fairly efficient scorer over the course of one offseason.

Look for James to lead the league in usage in 2017-18. He recorded a usage percentage of 30.6% last season, which was second in the Mountain West. When on the floor, James attempted 30.5% of his team’s attempts, which was the 85th highest rate in all of college basketball in 2016-17, according to KenPom. With another offseason behind him, expect James to not only see more possessions, but also increase his overall effectiveness and efficiency. He’s a legitimate candidate for the league’s player of the year award.

• 5 – Justin James, Wyoming
• 6 – Trey Kell, San Diego State
• 7 – Prentiss Nixon, Colorado State
• 8 – Caleb Martin, Nevada
• 9 – Malik Pope, San Diego State
• 10 – Devin Watson, San Diego State
• 11 – Deshon Taylor, Fresno State
• 12 – Jaron Hopkins, Fresno State
• 13 – Hayden Dalton, Wyoming
• 14 – Jeremy Hemsley, San Diego State
• 15 – Jovan Mooring, UNLV
• 16 – Jordan Johnson, UNLV
• 17 – Lindsey Drew, Nevada
• 18 – Shakur Juiston, UNLV
• 19 – Ryan Welage, San Jose State
• 20 – Sam Logwood, New Mexico
• 21 – Jeremiah Paige, Colorado State
• 22 – Jahmel Taylor, Fresno State
• 23 – Justinian Jessup, Boise State
• 24 – Alan Herndon, Wyoming
• 25 – Dane Kuiper, New Mexico
• Honorable Mentions