McPherson standout signs to play basketball for Barton women
The Barton County Community College women's basketball team has landed one of the top players in the state of Kansas with the announcement that McPherson standout Jordi James has signed a letter of intent to play basketball in 2008-2009. As a senior, James averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3 steals per game for the Bullpups as they claimed the 5A State Championship. She led her team in every statistical category with the exception of rebounds, finishing second. James will help replace 3 sophomores – all starters – from Barton's 34-4 team last season that took 4th at the NJCAA National Tournament.
James has won numerous accolades throughout her career. She was named 1st Team All-State Class 5A as both a junior and a senior by both the Topeka Capitol Journal and the Wichita Eagle. She was also honored by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA), being named 1st Team All-State, and she will participate in the KBCA All-Star game in Topeka in August. Maxpreps.com recognized James in their Big 6 as one of the top six players in the state. The Hutchinson Newspaper tabbed her as its All-Area Player of the Year, and she was also named the AVCTL Div. II MVP.
James has experienced tremendous success throughout her four-year career at McPherson, which includes four trips to the state tournament, and two state championships, winning the second one as a senior. She led all participants at this year's tournament in scoring and she finished her stellar career with 25 points in the state championship game. McPherson went an incredible 86-12 during her career there.
Assistant Coach Ben Lister comments – "Any time you can bring in a student-athlete of Jordi's caliber, you feel very fortunate. She has been one of the best and most sought after athletes in the state of Kansas and we worked extremely hard to get her here. The reward is you are bringing in an athlete who brings tremendous toughness, work ethic, skill, and a winning mentality to our program. She is capable of beating you in many different ways as we have seen throughout her career. You also get a kid with great character, and she truly embodies what we are looking for in our program. We are expecting great things from Jordi, and I look for her to be an immediate impact in our program."