Iowa Offer a Big One for 2021 Power Forward James Graham
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – After months of conversation with the Iowa men’s basketball coaching staff, three-star power forward James Graham received a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes on June 2.
Graham, who is a 2021 prospect, met with the Iowa coaches via Zoom due to NCAA restrictions on in-person contact amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We went into transition offense, motion offense and sets and defense,” Graham said. “Then after that they were discussing a little bit more about how they would use me. And then they offered me after that.
“It’s big because I’ve been talking to (assistant) coach (Sherman) Dillard for a long time. It was one that I wanted.”
Graham, a native of Milwaukee, Wis., said he has a score first mentality and that the Iowa coaches see him as a versatile option at a number of positions.
He is currently ranked No. 27 nationally among power forwards, according to Rivals.com.
“In modern college basketball, (McCaffery) said you have four perimeter players and a center,” Graham said. “He doesn’t see me as a center, so he doesn’t mind playing any position for me.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Graham holds other offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida State, Maryland, Michigan State, Wake Forest and Xavier, among others.
Graham said that he wants to narrow down his list of favorites soon and is fully prepared for the possibility of committing to a school without ever having visited in person.
“I have no problem doing it (committing to a school without visiting in person),” Graham said. “You commit to a coach, you don’t commit to a school.”
Last season, Graham averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game.