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Justin James put together one of the most prolific careers Wyoming basketball has ever seen.

Still, the Sacramento Kings’ decision to take James in the second round of the NBA draft Thursday caught many by surprise.

James, a native of Port St. Lucie, Florida, came to Wyoming as an unheralded recruit with just one high-major offer (Mississippi State) and finished No. 3 on the program’s all-time scoring list by the time he left. He increased his scoring average every year after becoming a full-time contributor as a sophomore, posting career highs in points (22.1 per game) and rebounds (8.5) as a senior despite playing a more unnatural position at the point because Wyoming needed the ball in its best player’s hands as much as possible amid its 8-24 season.

That scoring average was tops in the Mountain West. Yet it wasn’t the most efficient season for James, who posted career-lows in field-goal percentage (40.9) and 3-point field-goal percentage (29.6). And while he averaged a career-high 4.4 assists, James turned it over nearly as much with 4.1 turnovers per game — also a career high.