Men's Basketball | 11/11/2025 3:30:00 PM
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Mississippi Valley State University men's basketball program seems to have found themselves a bona fide superstar in the transfer portal as Michael James took home the SWAC's inaugural Player and Newcomer of the Week accolades in 2025-26.
James, a junior guard from Byhalia, Mississippi, averaged 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and two steals per game at mid-majors UAB and Murray State along with the home opener versus MUW.
The Meridian Community College transfer has been a revelation for Head Coach George Ivory as he led the Delta Devils with 113 minutes (37.7 per game), 74 points, 21 field goals, 20 free throws made, 12 three-pointers, eight assists, six steals, a 40.4% (21-for-52) field goal percentage, and a 36.4% (12-for-33) three-point percentage.
The HW Byers High School product also converted on 20-of-21 attempts from the charity stripe in addition to 17 boards, becoming Valley's first weekly award recipient since Rayquan Brown was named SWAC Co-Impact Player of the Week on January 23, 2024.
James and his teammates are already on the island of O'ahu for a three-game tournament, the 59th annual Rainbow Classic, in which they will face the host Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Utah Tech Trailblazers, and Manhattan Jaspers from Wednesday through Saturday.
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