NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 4 teams for 4-star 2025 PG Nigel James

Nigel James is a consensus 4-star prospect in the 2025 NCAA Basketball recruiting class, ranked in the top-100 per 247sports. He's a 6'0 true point guard from New York who is a talented passer and capable two-way player.

Recently, James announced a list of four power conference programs in contention, including a local option. Here's a closer look at his fit with each of them.

Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have an incoming freshman ball-handler joining the team in Jordyn Kee, who the team is high on. And even though transfers Dakota Leffew and Tyrin Lawrence will only be around for one year, rising sophomore guard Silas Demary is likely the lead guard for at least the next couple of years. So there's a chance that there's a logjam for James at this option.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Yellow Jackets don't have Kyle Sturdivant around but Naithan George, who led the team in assists last season, is back for his sophomore season. He's an NBA Draft prospect to watch so the team will need to make sure they have a ball-handler in the 2025 class. The program already has a pair of 4-star commits (Brandon Stores and Akai Fleming and landing James could give them the early No. 1 group for 2025.

Marquette Golden Eagles

Coach Shaka Smart can sell the development of Tyler Kolek, who went from a solid guard at George Mason to the Big East Player of the Year star. He's gone, leaving Kam Jones and a couple of role players (Stevie Mitchell and Sean Jones) to be the main ball-handlers. Between Marquette not using many transfers in the Smart era and having all of its current guards being veterans, there's a clear path for James to be a key guard in the future rotation.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

All eyes will be on the 5-star freshmen duo next season in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, two guys expected to be around for just one year. With the other guards on the team being upperclassmen except Jamichael Davis, there should be a clear path to playing time for James here as well.

With Rutgers being the closest school to where he's from, location could prove to work in their favor as well. All four teams could offer playing time but the Knights, if they fail to land one of the longshot 5-star targets in the 2025 class, could be a favorite here.