Marquette Golden Eagles freshman Nigel James Jr. just added another highlight to his ever-growing montage, and his latest could be the best one yet.
During one play in the second half of Wednesday’s game between the Golden Eagles and the No. 17 St. John’s Red Storm at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., Marquette junior guard Tre Norman drove down the baseline but lost his footing.
Norman passed the ball to James, who took a dribble and split two St. John’s defenders in the air with a nasty pump fake before letting go of the leather while on his way down. James got the ball to kiss the backboard with just enough English on it before going in, as the Golden Eagles extended their lead to six points.
Here’s that beautiful play, which certainly deserves multiple rewatches.
🤯 https://t.co/nqLaiUunhm pic.twitter.com/R6xqanCVIK
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 19, 2026
In a season brimming with exciting freshmen, James has consistently found ways to steal some of the spotlight, and this was another clear example.
Unfortunately for James and the Golden Eagles, they failed to get the job done, squandering a nine-point halftime lead and suffering a 76-70 loss to Rick Pitino’s squad.
Still, James gave a strong account of himself, finishing with 25 points on 11-for-21 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 34 minutes.
