BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Senior transfer guard Mike James of the Alabama State University men's basketball team was named a Preseason First Team All-Conference honoree by the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors, and announced Tuesday evening.

James, who is eligible for All-Conference recognition after spending a year at fellow SWAC institution Mississippi Valley State, joins the Hornets as a proven veteran with conference experience to first-year head men's basketball coach Chris Wright's squad. A good majority of his teammates are either underclassmen or have transferred in from smaller colleges, so his veteran leadership will be vital to the team's success this season.

The Byhalia, Miss., native averaged 21.4 points per game last year, second in the SWAC and 15th in the country. He comes to the River Region with plenty of mileage, playing 1,177 minutes a season ago (4th in SWAC) for a league-leading average of 36.8 per game that placed him in a tie for 12th in the country. He was the most efficient all-around shooter in the conference, leading the SWAC in free throw percentage (.904 – 11th in NCAA) and three-point field goal percentage (.340) while sitting a team-best sixth in the conference in overall field goal percentage (.437).

He also served in the primary guard role last season, dishing out 2.8 assists per game over 32 games while committing 1.8 takeaways on the defensive end of the ball.

After transferring to The Delta from Meridian Community College, the then-junior put on a show after opening the season with games of 25 and 30 points, respectively, a preview of what was to come as he reached double-digit scoring totals in every game he played. He was perfect from the charity stripe in 18 games, while he had the same flawless efficiency from beyond the arc in 20 minutes of action against Cal State Bakersfield.

James will hope to bring that same energy to Bama State, as he and the revamped roster will open its season in College Station, Texas, against Texas A&M University. It will return for a two-game set at the Joe L. Reed Dunn-Oliver Acadome against Georgia Gwinnett (Monday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.) and Oklahoma Panhandle State (Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.) to open the 2026-27 campaign.