University of Georgia Athletics
Know Your Lady Bulldogs: Jasmine James
March 07, 2011 | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2011
Know Your Lady Bulldogs
By Robert Carnes, UGA Sports Communications
Last year as a freshman, Jasmine James led the Georgia Lady Bulldogs in time played with 35.9 minutes per game. This distinction as the team's most utilized player becomes more significant when considering her competition.
Ashley Houts left the Lady Bulldogs in 2010 having played more minutes (4,768) than any other student-athlete in team history.
"Ashley was a good teammate and a role model," said James. "She always knew what needed to be done on the court. By working hard, she set the bar very high for the rest of us."
James, known as 'J.J.' to her teammates, played only one year with Houts, but it was enough to make an impact.
The then-senior and freshman backcourt duo was among the most talented in the Southeastern Conference.
Houts was named an All-American and James became a Freshman All-American and a unanimous selection for the coaches All-SEC freshman team. James was also selected conference freshman of the week a league-record five times.
"J.J. realizes that she has a very high basketball I.Q.," said head coach Andy Landers. "It benefits our team more when she has the ball in her hands."
James started just her second game as a Lady Bulldog, making the Memphis, Tenn., native the 63rd (of now 67) freshman to start under Landers. James then started 55 straight contests before she was left out of the lineup on Feb. 3 against Alabama to allow a sprained wrist suffered at No. 20 Arkansas on Jan. 13 time to heal.
Although James was available to play against the Crimson Tide, the Lady Bulldogs allowed their floor general to have the afternoon off during a decisive 81-54 victory.
After graduating, Houts - another member of the 67 freshmen to start for Landers at UGA - was selected 16th overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics. She is currently playing in Israel.
"At first, her leaving really hit us hard," said James. "Everyone had to step up and fill that space she left. Now we've embraced that added responsibility."
Now a sophomore, James plays the point guard role Houts previously filled.
"Quite honestly, I look at tape of J.J. last year playing at the wing and I look at tape of her this year playing point guard, and I really think she is much more comfortable and confident as a point," said Landers
Although her scoring average has stayed roughly the same (12.1 ppg last season up to 11.8 ppg this year), James' assists average is up considerably from last year, 3.7 up from 2.9 assists per game.
Perhaps more importantly, her assist-to-turnover ratio also has increased dramatically. After sporting a 0.92 mark as a freshman, James is contributing at a 1.38 clip this year.
"I played mostly on the wing last year and took more shots," said James. "Now, my focus is setting up my teammates and making sure they get the ball in a position to score. I go into each game trying to get everyone involved."
Houts led the team in assists and steals each year during her four-year career. Currently, James leads the team with 112 assists and has 51 steals, two less than Meredith Mitchell.
Among SEC individual leaders, James ranks No. 6 is assists, No. 9 in assist-to-turnover ratio and No. 9 in steals. And she is No. 4 in minutes played at 35.6, which is over four minutes per game more than any other player on the Georgia roster.
More importantly, James is also filling the leadership role left by Houts.
"I have become a more vocal leader," said James. "I try to lead by example. I can't slack off because that would show the others that it's acceptable."
Despite her personal success, James knows what deserves more attention.
"I don't focus on individual accomplishments because the focus needs to be on the team," said James. "Once the team has success, the individual efforts will speak for themselves."