Analysis of the Move

[MuggsyB]

That Nigel up & under, with ridiculous english + the kiss, was about as filthy a finish as I've ever seen.  And that includes poster hammer dunks.  I just tried it, on my 6.5 foot nerf hoop, with zero defenders, and failed miserably. 

[MarquetteMike1977]

That Nigel up & under, with ridiculous english + the kiss, was about as filthy a finish as I've ever seen.  And that includes poster hammer dunks.  I just tried it, on my 6.5 foot nerf hoop, with zero defenders, and failed miserably. 

Agree Bright spot! We will give it a try on our nerf hoop in the family room too! Us those around us were talking about that finish after the game

[mug644]

That Nigel up & under, with ridiculous english + the kiss, was about as filthy a finish as I've ever seen.  And that includes poster hammer dunks.  I just tried it, on my 6.5 foot nerf hoop, with zero defenders, and failed miserably. 

Need video, please. Of you, not Nigel.

[Shooter McGavin]

Number 2 on SC top ten.

[ski44]

Number 2 on SC rope ten.

Is that a new segment on SC?

[Shooter McGavin]

Ha!  Brand new.  Fixed it.  Thank you!

[Hards Alumni]

That Nigel up & under, with ridiculous english + the kiss, was about as filthy a finish as I've ever seen.  And that includes poster hammer dunks.  I just tried it, on my 6.5 foot nerf hoop, with zero defenders, and failed miserably. 

Have you tried lowering the hoops to a more appropriate height?  A 6.5 feet hoop is pretty elevated for a man of your stature. 

[MuggsyB]

In all seriousness, this kid is incredibly special.  Look out when he finds a consistent jumper.  From a pure athletic standpoint he's off the freaking charts.  The young man is barely scratching the surface folks. 

It's unfortunate he's playing essentially solo out there on the perimeter.  Yes, he can make bad decisions.  Yes, he can ball-hog (for lack of a better phrase) and take circus shots.  Yes, he can have extreme issues defensively.  But my contention is we will see a much better and complete Nigel with better talent around him.  I don't really blame him for not trusting guys to do diddly squat along side him.

This team would benefit tremendously from a spot shooter.  It's ridiculous and roster malpractice we don't have one, let alone two.  Because what I envision is Nigel's blow by zoomability creating WIDE OPEN LOOKS in the near future.  His first step is ridiculous, a.k.a. unguardable.  Not to mention he can change speed and direction, hesi dribble, plant and  finish in the paint, and touch the clouds on his elevation.  Once he figures it out, meaning when to kick, stop and pop, dime cutters, create contact and get to the line, step-back and drain the triple, smoothly run high screen and roll with RP, etc, etc; we will get back to being a major factor and MU's 2nd resurgence will begin.  Pay the young man, surround him with multiple pieces, and we will be back imo. 

[NCMUFan]

Unfortunately missed game.  Are there any web links showing it?
Found it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBi_eUBz7hM
Amazing!

[willie warrior]

In all seriousness, this kid is incredibly special.  Look out when he finds a consistent jumper.  From a pure athletic standpoint he's off the freaking charts.  The young man is barely scratching the surface folks. 

It's unfortunate he's playing essentially solo out there on the perimeter.  Yes, he can make bad decisions.  Yes, he can ball-hog (for lack of a better phrase) and take circus shots.  Yes, he can have extreme issues defensively.  But my contention is we will see a much better and complete Nigel with better talent around him.  I don't really blame him for not trusting guys to do diddly squat along side him.

This team would benefit tremendously from a spot shooter.  It's ridiculous and roster malpractice we don't have one, let alone two.  Because what I envision is Nigel's blow by zoomability creating WIDE OPEN LOOKS in the near future.  His first step is ridiculous, a.k.a. unguardable.  Not to mention he can change speed and direction, hesi dribble, plant and  finish in the paint, and touch the clouds on his elevation.  Once he figures it out, meaning when to kick, stop and pop, dime cutters, create contact and get to the line, step-back and drain the triple, smoothly run high screen and roll with RP, etc, etc; we will get back to being a major factor and MU's 2nd resurgence will begin.  Pay the young man, surround him with multiple pieces, and we will be back imo. 

We might have one or two spot shooters on the roster, but alas, Shaka is redshirting them.

[Hards Alumni]

We might have one or two spot shooters on the roster, but alas, Shaka is redshirting them.

Tired ass argument.  If they were good enough to play a full game they wouldn't be red shirting.

And if they were playing you'd be complaining about their defense or whatever the "bitch de jour" is on any given day.

[Tha Hound]

The best part of this clip is the only other MU players you can see on the floor are Caedin Hamilton and Tre Norman. Going to be hilarious looking back on that in 5 years.

[panda]

I really think the block and then taking the ball up floor was equally, if not more impressive than the dipsy do layup

[mug644]

I really think the block and then taking the ball up floor was equally, if not more impressive than the dipsy do layup

If he had made the basket at the end of that sequence, it too would've been on national highlights.

[WhiteTrash]

The best part of this clip is the only other MU players you can see on the floor are Caedin Hamilton and Tre Norman. Going to be hilarious looking back on that in 5 years.

Did you see how Hamilton was starting to fight for rebounding position if the shot didn't fall?

Yeah, neither did I.

[BrewCity83]

Did you see how Hamilton was starting to fight for rebounding position if the shot didn't fall?

Yeah, neither did I.

Duh.  That's because he witnesses the Nigel James Jr. magic every day in practice.  He knew there would be no rebound.

[Shooter McGavin]

Did you see how Hamilton was starting to fight for rebounding position if the shot didn't fall?

Yeah, neither did I.

Overall, I am with the people who think Caedin doesn't look like he will evolve enough to stay.  But, I remember thinking a few times last night at the game that he looked competent in stretches. 

[BM1090]

Overall, I am with the people who think Cardin doesn't look like he will evolve enough to stay.  But, I remember thinking a few times last night at the game that he looked competent in stretches. 

If last night was his norm, you could do a lot worse for a 3rd center. Unfortunately, that was probably the best game of his career.

[MuggsyB]

I really think the block and then taking the ball up floor was equally, if not more impressive than the dipsy do layup

I disagree.  We've seen emphatic blocks from behind by small guards.   What we haven't seen really is that ridiculous shot with two bigs jumping in the process. 

[burger]

He got screwed.....That was worthy of the #1 Top Play....Not #2....

The had some Jordan in it against the Lakers.....

[WarriorFan]

The last Big East guard with that kind of ability to get to the rim through/over/around almost anyone was named Iverson. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Nigel is amazing.  MU has found its next superstar if they keep him and I believe they will. 

[The Sultan]

The last Big East guard with that kind of ability to get to the rim through/over/around almost anyone was named Iverson. 

I love NJ but cmon...

[rgoode57]

Nigel James is a truly special talent. Yes, he makes some mistakes, has too many turnovers, and fails to see the open man sometimes. That's all fine - he's a freshman. He will be even better next year. I sort of feel sorry for him being asked to carry the team offensively as a freshman, but I suspect he kind of likes it that way.  I can't help wondering how it would have played out if Sean Jones had stayed healthy since NJ is clearly the better player.

[WarriorFan]

with a little help from Grok:
Allen Iverson's freshman season at Georgetown (1994-95) was a breakout performance. In 30 games (29 starts), he averaged 20.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in 32.2 minutes. Shooting: 39.0% FG, 23.2% 3P, 68.8% FT. His high-volume, tough-shot style led to lower efficiency, but he was a scoring and defensive force, earning Big East Rookie of the Year and leading Georgetown in scoring while disrupting opponents (conference-high in steals).
Nigel James Jr.'s current freshman season at Marquette (2025-26), as of February 20, 2026 (post their February 18 loss to St. John's), shows him through 27 games (24 starts). He's averaging 16.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 28.6 minutes. Efficiency: 48.2% FG (164-340), 38.9% 3P (35-90), 69.2% FT (72-104).
Scoring: Iverson 20.4 PPG vs. James 16.1 PPG — Iverson had higher volume as the clear focal point.
Playmaking: Close (Iverson 4.5 APG, James 4.9 APG) — both primary handlers with vision; James edges slightly.
Rebounding: Similar (Iverson 3.3, James 3.2).
Defense (Steals): Iverson dominant at 3.0 SPG vs. James' solid 1.7 SPG — Iverson's quickness created more turnovers.
Efficiency: James much better (48.2% FG / 38.9% 3P) than Iverson (39.0% FG / 23.2% 3P), thanks to modern rules, spacing, and refined shooting.
Minutes/Usage: Iverson played more (32.2 vs. 28.6), in a different era; James has a major role on a struggling Marquette team (around 9-18 record).