Prospect Spotlight: James Wallace (2020)
There’s always breakout players throughout the state, but sometimes a breakout player can help make a breakout team. That was the case with Lee-Davis junior James Wallace, who helped the Confederates to a winning record for the first time in years.
Throughout the season I spoke with Wallace a few times, and one of the most impressive parts about him is that he always wanted to talk about the team first. The 6’3” athletic guard was the focal point of both the offense and the defense, but all of the accolades and individual success came secondary to the team success.
It was that kind of mentality that helped Lee-Davis this season.
“We came together as a team and we listened to coach throughout the season,” Wallace said. “We ran our plays and sets and played together as a team.”
Wallace not only had a breakout year, but he showed he may be a sleeper of a college prospect as well. At 6’2”, he’s long and athletic, allowing him to play above the rim on both ends and guard multiple positions. He’s still a little raw but he thrives in transition, can hit the open jumper and is a good finisher through traffic.
While he’s always been a factor on the court, this past season was when it all clicked for Wallace, both mentally and on the court.
“My whole mindset changed this season,” he said. “I had to focus up. I just want to win, just keep wanting to win, help my team out and we just wanted to get Lee-Davis back on the map.”
With his ability to play both guard positions and be a two-way factor, Wallace can do many things on the floor. He knows that he needs to continue to improve in a number of ways, but says he’s willing to put in the work to get there and will do whatever it takes to help win basketball games.
“I just want to win, I don’t care what it is, whether I score or not I just want to do whatever it takes to win. I think I need to work on getting my shot quicker and sliding my feet on defense and keeping my hands out so I don’t foul so much.”
From all accounts, it seems like Wallace will be playing with Threat Beasley 220, the same team that he played for last summer in AAU. It will be interesting to see how he plays this summer, and he should pick up some recruitment in the process.