Oklahoma Basketball: What Has Happened With Christian James?
By Chip Rouse
At the end of last season, then-freshman Christian James was playing at a high level in only his first season in the Oklahoma basketball program.
Because of that, coach Lon Kruger was counting on the young guard playing a prime role in the Sooners offense this season.
Earlier this season – you remember, when the Sooner men were above water and winning more than they were losing – the plan for the sophomore guard from Houston appeared to be playing out exactly as hoped for.
After 10 games, OU’s record was a not great, but still respectable 6-4, and James was averaging close to 13 points a game. In his first dozen games in 2016-17, the 6-foot, 4-inch swing man had posted 10 double-digit scoring games, with a high of 17 points on two separate occasions. (in a loss to Clemson and a home victory over Oral Roberts).
A year ago at this time, James was starting to perform at such a noticeable level, that some college basketball experts were beginning to label him as the next Buddy Hield.
No one is saying that now, and with fairly good reason.
In his last 15 outings, James’ production, much like the minutes he is playing, have gone down precipitously. His last two games have shown some signs of a breakthrough, with a 13-point night last Saturday at Oklahoma State, followed by eight points in Tuesday night’s loss at Baylor.
The 13 points against in-state rival Oklahoma State marked the first time he had scored in double figures since producing 11 points in the Big 12 opener this season against Baylor back on Dec. 30.
Over his last 15 games, James has scored four points or less eight times.
There has been a noticeable decline in several of James’ offensive numbers compared with his freshman campaign a year ago.
Last season, on a team that was one of the country’s best in three-point percentage, James shot 50 percent behind the arc. This season, his three-point accuracy has dropped down to a very pedestrian 37 percent.
Similarly, his overall shooting percentage has gone down to 37 percent, from 43 percent last season. His reliability at the free-throw line has also waned, falling to 71 percent from 77 percent as a freshman.
James has almost become a forgotten player in the Oklahoma lineup, surpassed by two of the best first-year players in the Big 12 in Kameron McGusty and another “Christian” by a different spelling, Kristian Doolittle. Sophomore Rashard Odomes is also ahead of James in the scoring column this season.
The current team stats list James as fifth among the Oklahoma scoring leaders, averaging 8.2 points a game. But in truth, much of that is a result of his production over the first third of the season. The burning question is: What has happened with James been over the second one-third of the season?
Call it the dreaded sophomore slump or however you choose to label it. But something is definitely not right when your minutes nearly quadruple, but your production heads in the opposite direction.
The quicker the Sooners find the answer to that issue, the quicker they will have a much-needed lift to their offensive performance and ability to close out games.