Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt Adds Former NC State Guard from NCAA Transfer Portal

The Commodores now have four players committed to coming to Nashville, but two are coming off of season-ending injuries.

Taylor Hodges

North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Mike James (0) shoots a three pointer during the first half of the game against the William & Mary Tribe at Lenovo Center.
North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Mike James (0) shoots a three pointer during the first half of the game against the William & Mary Tribe at Lenovo Center. / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
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There’s only a week left until the NCAA college basketball transfer portal closes and Vanderbilt still has several roster spots open. But that number did lower by one on Tuesday.

NC State guard Mike James has committed to Vanderbilt, according to an On3 report. James transferred to the Wolfpack from Louisville but ended up missing all of last season with a knee injury.

James spent two seasons at Louisville where he 64 games and averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In those two seasons, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard made 34 percent of his three-pointers and was an 81.8 percent shooter from the free throw line.

James is a great addition to the Commodores, providing size and excellent perimeter shooting. However, he’s the second addition to the roster that missed all or most of last season with an injury (ex-TCU guard Frankie Collins is the other).

That’s not a bad thing. There’s plenty of precedence for players recovering from a season-ending injury and being successful the following year. But there’s also lots of examples of injuries not healing or players not full themselves afterwards. It’s sports. It happens.

It’s a risk, but it’s the exact kind of risk Vanderbilt should be taking if it wants to improve on last season’s 20-win season.

Vanderbilt Players in Transfer Portal

  • Karris Bilal
  • Jaylen Carey (to Tennessee)
  • MJ Collins
  • Jason Edwards (to Providence)
  • Alex Hemenway
  • JaQualon Roberts
  • Jordan Williams

Vanderbilt Commitments

  • G Jalen Washington (from North Carolina)
  • F Mason Nicholson (from Jacksonville State)
  • G Frankie Collins (from TCU)
  • G Mike James (from NC State)

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

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