Plano Senior senior Shawn James had a backup plan just in case the prospects of playing college basketball fell through.

That plan was to attend Arkansas.

Fortunately for the Wildcats' post presence, Plan B won't be needed after committing to continue his hoops career with the University of Redlands.

"I actually had a lot of people saying I couldn't do it," James said, "but I wanted to, worked hard all year and made it work, so it feels really good."

Despite going the summer, fall and much of the winter without a destination for college ball at the forefront, James maintained a positive outlook that an offer to his liking would arise.

In February, a phone call from Redlands head coach Jim Ducey was just the sign the 6-foot-9 forward needed.

"I think they saw me play during AAU ball (with Top Achievers Pistons)," James said. "The coach called me around February asking if I'd come out and visit, and that they were interested in me. My dad was already out there on business, so he went and talked to them."

James said a bond between his father, Bill, and Ducey steadily manifested. After some months passed, a visit to the California-based campus was set up.

"It's in Southern California and a really good school," James said. "I met the players and thought they were really cool, plus the coach has a lot of connections with some higher-ups and I want to eventually go into sports management."

James enjoyed a tour of both the campus, based 45 minutes east of Los Angeles, and the town in Ducey's throwback Woody station wagon. After a day taking in the atmosphere, James was smitten with the university. It marked a satisfying end to James' recruiting trail, which spanned fellow Division III outfits such as Trinity and Emory University.

Redlands fit the bill with what James wanted to accomplish both athletically and academically, hoping to one day either coach or attend law school.

On the court, James will apply the same skill-set he put to work in high school.

"I just want to contribute what I have," he said. "Rebounding, scoring and defense. I like the stuff they run, so anything I can contribute will be great."

That arsenal helped James carve out a starting role with the Wildcats during his senior campaign after undergoing what he described as a "learning experience" as a backup his junior year.

Following the lead of alums Rashad Smith and Julian Okoro, James blossomed from an outlet for frontcourt depth into Plano's go-to option in the paint. Deploying a crafty baby hook on offense, while using his size and length to protect the rim on defense, James averaged 6.9 points, a team-best 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a senior.

While results in the win column were tough for Plano to come by, it didn't deter the lessons learned and values attained from James' time with the Wildcats.

Now he'll get to utilize those experiences at the next level.

"It was a tough season this year, but I still took a lot away from it," James said. "I'm still friends with most of my teammates and it was just really fun for me."

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