James Blackmon Jr.

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = James Blackmon Jr.

| image = James Blackmon Jr (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Blackmon in January 2020

| number =

| position = Shooting guard

| height_m = 1.93

| weight_kg = 91

| league =

| team = Free Agent

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|04|25}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois

| nationality = American

| high_school =

{{nowrap|Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Indiana)}}
Marion (Marion, Indiana)

| college = Indiana (2014–2017)

| draft_year = 2017

| career_start = 2017

| years1 = 2017–2018

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers

| years2 = 2018

| team2 = Wisconsin Herd

| years3 = 2018–2019

| team3 = VL Pesaro

| years4 = 2019–2020

| team4 = Aquila Basket Trento

| years5 = 2020–2021

| team5 = Beşiktaş

| years6 = 2021–2022

| team6 = Pınar Karşıyaka

| highlights =

Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2015)
McDonald's High School All-American (2014)
First-team Parade All-American (2014)

| medal_templates =

}}

James Blackmon Jr. (born April 25, 1995) is an American basketball player who last played for Pınar Karşıyaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.

High school career

Blackmon played three years at Bishop Luers High School and his senior year at Marion High School. In his senior season, he averaged 33.4 points and 4.2 three-pointers (47%),{{Cite web|url=http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/james-blackmon/aPVWYkdFEeOZXQAmVebBJg/gendersport/basketball-stats.htm|title=James Blackmon's High School Basketball Stats}} and broke his father's school record by scoring 54 points in a game. He ranks #9 on Indiana's all-time scoring list.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/basketball/scoringrecords/tabid/133/default.aspx|title=IHSAA Boys Basketball Scoring Records}} He was ranked the 20th best player in the class by ESPN and was recruited heavily by Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/117563/james-blackmon-jr|title = James Blackmon, Jr. – Basketball Recruiting – Player Profiles – ESPN}} He originally committed to Indiana before his freshman season, but reopened his recruitment before his senior season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.insidethehall.com/2014/06/18/freshman-focus-james-blackmon-jr/#more-39598|title=Freshman Focus: James Blackmon Jr|date=18 June 2014}} His final verbal commitment to Indiana was televised live on ESPNU.{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9925979|title=Indiana lands No. 4 SG James Blackmon|date=2013-11-04|work=ESPN.com}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} He scored 13 points in the McDonald's All-American Game and won the three-point contest.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/03/31/alexander-on-kansas-i-wouldnt-mind-staying-two-years/|title=Alexander on Kansas: 'I wouldn't mind staying two years'|access-date=2014-08-13|date=2014-03-31|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Helfgot, Mike}} He also scored 23 in the Jordan Brand Classic.http://jordanbrandclassic.com/images/stories/docs/2014/2014nationalboxscore.pdf{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He finished third in Indiana Mr. Basketball voting, behind Trey Lyles and Trevon Bluiett.{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/indiana/article/release-indiana-signee-james-blackmon-jr-an-indiana-all-star-187831/|title = Blackmon an Indiana All-Star}}

{{College athlete recruit entry

| recruit = James Blackmon Jr.

| position = G

| hometown = Marion, IN

| highschool = Marion HS

| feet = 6

| inches = 4

| weight = 180

| commitdate = October 31, 2013

| rivals stars = 5

| 247 stars = 5

| scout stars = 4

| espn stars = 5

}}

{{College athlete recruit end

| year = 2014

| rivals ref title = Indiana Commit List for 2014

| scout ref title = 2014 Indiana Basketball Commits

| espn ref title = Indiana Hoosiers

| 247 ref title = Indiana 2014 Basketball Commits

| rivals school = indiana

| scout = http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=14&cfg=bb&yr=2014

| espn schoolid = http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/classrankings?class=2014&date=null

| scout overall = 32

| rivals overall = 22

| 247 overall = 12

| espn overall = 20

| accessdate = 2014-08-21

| bball = yes

}}

College career

=Freshman year=

During Indiana's five-game preseason Canada trip, Blackmon led the team in scoring with 18.8 points, despite focusing mainly on his defense. As a freshman, he earned the starting spot in the backcourt alongside Yogi Ferrell.{{Cite web|url=http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2014/08/13/indianas-james-blackmon-jr-stakes-claim-starting-spot-alongside-yogi-ferrell/14024229/|title=Indiana's James Blackmon Jr. Stakes claim for starting spot alongside Yogi Ferrell}} He averaged 15.7 points per game, the sixth best average for any freshman in the country. He ranked second on the team in both scoring and rebounding (5.3). Blackmon was a prolific three-point shooter, breaking Eric Gordon's Indiana freshman record with 77 three-point field goals made. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, a unanimous spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.{{Cite web|url=http://btn.com/2015/03/09/view-2015-all-big-ten-mens-basketball-teams-honors/|title = View 2015 All-Big Ten Men's Basketball Teams & individual honors|date = 9 March 2015}}

=Sophomore year=

Blackmon Jr. had a strong first two months, setting career-highs in field goal percentage (.480) and three-point field goal percentage (.463), until a right knee injury ended his season. Blackmon underwent surgery in January 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2016/01/05/ius-james-blackmon-jr-undergo-surgery-injured-right-knee/78310292/|title = IU's James Blackmon Jr. To miss rest of season with knee injury}} his second knee surgery in a span of just six months – he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his other knee before the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/07/14/james-blackmon-jr-injury-knee-surgery-indiana-hoosiers|title = Indiana guard James Blackmon Jr. Undergoes knee surgery}} He finished his sophomore campaign averaging 15.8 points in just thirteen total games. Indiana went 15–3 in the Big Ten season in his absence, winning an outright league title in the process.

=Junior year=

File:James Blackmon vs. Iowa.jpg

On November 14, 2016, Blackmon Jr. was named National Player of the Week by NBCSports.com and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.[http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/11/14/mens-basketball-blackmon-jr-jones-earn-big-ten-weekly-honors.aspx IUHoosiers – Blackmon Jr.][http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2016/11/14/player-of-the-week-indianas-james-blackmon/ Blackmon player of the week] He averaged 17.3 points per game on a team that went 19–16. After the end of his junior year, he decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft.{{cite news |last1=Norlander |first1=Matt |title=2017 NBA Draft: James Blackmon Jr. won't return to Indiana, staying in draft |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2017-nba-draft-james-blackmon-jr-wont-return-to-indiana-staying-in-draft/ |accessdate=June 1, 2020 |work=CBS Sports |date=May 7, 2017}}

=College statistics=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2014–15

| style="text-align:left;"| Indiana

| 33 || 33 || 30.0 || .420 || .387 || .806 || 5.3 || 1.5 || 0.6 || .1 || 15.7

| style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16

| style="text-align:left;"| Indiana

| 13 || 12 || 24.5 || .480 || .463 || .852 || 4.2 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .4 || 15.8

| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17

| style="text-align:left;"| Indiana

| 30 || 30 || 30.5 || .477 || .423 || .837 || 4.8 || 1.9 || .7 || .0 || 17.0

| align="center" colspan="2"| Career

| 76 || 75 || 29.3 || .452 || .415 || .824 || 4.9 || 1.7 || 0.8 || .1 || 16.3

Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/james-blackmon-1.html |title=James Blackmon Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |accessdate=2015-05-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003030/http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/james-blackmon-1.html |archivedate=2015-05-05 }}

Professional career

Blackmon signed as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers on June 23, 2017. After some successful performances with the team during the 2017 NBA Summer League, he signed a training camp contract with them on August 30 that same year. He was waived in the preseason on October 14, 2017.{{cite web|title=Sixers Waive Three Players|url=http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/sixers-waive-three-players|website=NBA.com|accessdate=October 14, 2017|date=October 14, 2017}}

On January 26, 2018, Blackmon was traded by the Delaware 87ers to the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for Shannon Brown and Cameron Oliver.{{cite news|title=Delaware 87ers acquire two-time NBA champ Shannon Brown and Cameron Oliver|url=http://delaware.gleague.nba.com/news/delaware-87ers-acquire-two-time-nba-champ-shannon-brown-cameron-oliver/|accessdate=January 27, 2018|work=NBA.com|date=January 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126222427/http://delaware.gleague.nba.com/news/delaware-87ers-acquire-two-time-nba-champ-shannon-brown-cameron-oliver/|archive-date=January 26, 2018|url-status=dead}}

He signed with VL Pesaro of the Lega Basket Serie A on August 6, 2018.{{cite web |title=James Blackmon jr signs with VL Pesaro |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/italy/serie-a/284768/james-blackmon-jr-signs-with-vl-pesaro.html |website=Sportando |accessdate=August 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806145733/https://sportando.basketball/en/italy/serie-a/284768/james-blackmon-jr-signs-with-vl-pesaro.html |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |url-status=dead }}

On July 19, 2019, he has signed with Aquila Basket Trento of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/james-blackmon-jr-signs-with-trento/|title=James Blackmon Jr. signs with Trento|date=July 19, 2019|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=September 26, 2019}}

On October 23, 2020, short after the beginning of the season, he signed a one-year contract with Beşiktaş in the Turkish League and Basketball Champions League.{{cite web |title=James Blackmon at Beşiktaş |url=https://bjk.com.tr/tr/haber/79724/james-blackmon-besiktasta.html |publisher=bjk.com.tr |date=23 October 2020 |language=Turkish }}

On July 8, 2021, he has signed with Pınar Karşıyaka of the Turkish Super League (BSL).{{Cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/pinar-karsiyaka-tabs-james-blackmon-jr/|title=Pinar Karsiyaka tabs James Blackmon jr|last=|first=|date=July 8, 2021|website=|newspaper=Sportando|language=En|access-date=July 8, 2021}}

Family

Blackmon's father, James Blackmon Sr., was drafted into the NBA after an outstanding career at Kentucky. {{Citation needed|date=March 2021|reason=Your explanation here}}. He now coaches at Marion. His father is of African-American descent, while his mother Sailaja is of Telugu descent. Blackmon has two brothers: Vijay, who was a walk-on for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball basketball team, and now is a member of the Lindenwood University men's basketball team, and Jalen, who plays for Stetson University. {{Citation needed|date=March 2021|reason= Jalen transferred to Stetson University }}