What a long, strange trip it's been.
Andrean's Josh James graduated in June of 2012. Colleges were buzzing around him like bees and honey, but no one gave him the offer he desired.
So he signed to play at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer.
Coaches from Eastern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville had shown interest but backed away. So the 6-foot-9 center went to Quakerdale Prep School in Iowa.
It didn't take long for James' fortunes to change.
On Tuesday night, while much of the nation was tuned into the presidential election, James verbally committed to play basketball at IUPUI.
Jaguars had coach Todd Howard went to Quakerdale to see James play. The Merrillville native then visited the campus in Indianapolis the last couple days before making the phone call.
He will sign next week.
"I loved the campus, I loved the city," James said. "It's been a long road. I kept a positive attitude and it's paying off."
James played AAU with Bowman Academy's Elijah Ray and the two will be teammates again next year. Ray is a freshman for the Jaguars.
James averaged 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds for the sectional champion 59ers last season.
"It's great that Andrean has another Division I basketball player," Andrean coach Carson Cunningham said. "Josh worked hard and overcame a lot of obstacles and I'm very happy that this opportunity came his way."
James said he plans on majoring in business. IUPUI plans on using him at the 4 and 5 positions, when he gets there next season.
"They always liked me," James said of IUPUI. "They recruited me a little bit in high school. But I just wasn't what they were looking for the year before. Now, they wanted to add some size.
"And this will give me another year to develop."
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