ASUN Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
9. Scottie James
A 6’8 forward from Tarpon Springs, Florida, James is a talented basketball player who took the long road to the ASUN. He originally committed to Bradley, spending the 2015-16 season as a bench piece in the MVC with the Braves. He’d transfer to Liberty, sitting out the next season and then playing for the Flames in the Big South as a sophomore. Liberty joined the ASUN in 2018 and James had two really solid years in the conference.
An offensive weapon all three years with the Flames, he’d average 12.6 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior in the Flames’ first year in their new league. He made 66% of his field goals and helped not only get Liberty to an ASUN Tournament title but a first-round upset over Mississippi State. James’ numbers were a slight step back as a senior but he helped the Flames to another ASUN title, though the NCAA Tournament was later canceled by the national pandemic.
James was First Team All-ASUN for those first two seasons that Liberty spent in the league. He was the conference’s best rebounder, an efficient shot-maker in the frontcourt, and was ASUN Tournament MVP as a junior. His contributions were excellent for the Flames during their initial stretch in the ASUN with the league’s best interior shooting touch.