1 James Young

Name
James Young
Position
Guard, Guard-Forward
Class
FR
Hometown (Last School)
Rochester Hills, MI (Rochester)
Ht
6'6"
Wt
215
Seasons
2013-14
Birthday
August 16, 1995

James Young was born August 16, 1995 in Flint, Michigan to Tiplance Vernon.  He first picked up a basketball at 3 years old while living with his mother in Rochester Hills.  Young attended both Troy High School in Troy, Michigan, and Rochester High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan. As a junior at Troy in 2011–12, Young averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game, earning first-team All-State honors from the Associated Press, Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.  As a senior at Rochester in 2012–13, Young averaged 27.2 points, 16.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, going on to earn McDonald's All-American honors.  Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Young was listed as the No. 3 small forward and the No. 8 player in the nation in 2013.  He appeared in both the McDonald's High School All-America and Jordan Brand Classic games.

On October 11, 2012, Young signed a letter of intent to play college basketball for the University of over Michigan State, Arizona State and .  Young joined an incredible freshman class at Kentucky that included five of the top nine national recruits. That crop of freshman wound up pushing the Wildcats to the NCAA championship game, though they fell to UConn. 

His welcome-to-college moment happened at the United Center in Chicago in the third game of the season when the Wildcats took on top-ranked Michigan State in front of 22,711 fans. MSU was one of the main programs pushing for Young in high school, but he seized the opportunity to drop 19 points on the hometown team. MSU held on to beat Kentucky 78-74 but at that moment Young felt he had officially arrived on the college scene and all the butterflies were gone.

As a freshman at Kentucky in 2013–14, Young finished second in UK single-season freshman history with 82 made three-pointers on the season. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week two times, earned second-team All-SEC honors, SEC All-Freshman team honors, and was named to the Final Four NCAA All-Tournament team.  In 40 games (39 starts), he averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.4 minutes per game.  Early in the season, on November 19, he scored a career-high 26 points and hit five three-pointers in a 105–76 win over UT Arlington.  He appeared in all 40 games and made 39 starts.  Young scored a team-high 20 points and pulled down seven boards in the National Championship vs. Connecticut. He led UK in scoring with 17 points to go along with five rebounds as the Wildcats took down Wisconsin in the Final Four. He was among watch list candidates for the Wayman Tisdale Award.

On April 17, 2014, Young declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility

On June 26, 2014, Young was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.  On July 10, 2014, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics.

  • Final Four NCAA All-Tournament team
  • All-SEC Second team (Coaches)
  • All-SEC Freshman team (Coaches)
  • Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week
  • Andy Katz's National Player of the Week (12/30/13)
  • Wayman Tisdale National Player of the Week (12/30/13)
  • Bluegrass Sports Commission MVP of UK-Louisville game

College Statistics:

Per Game

SeasonGGSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2013-14403932.44.611.3.4072.55.4.4702.15.9.3493.14.4.7061.03.34.31.70.80.21.92.114.3
Career403932.44.611.3.4072.55.4.4702.15.9.3493.14.4.7061.03.34.31.70.80.21.92.114.3

Totals

SeasonGGSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2013-1440391296183450.407101215.47082235.349125177.70641130171673087583573
Career40391296183450.407101215.47082235.349125177.70641130171673087583573

2013-14 Game Log

DateOpponentType GSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2013-11-08UNC AshevilleREGW129310.30015.20025.40036.5002241011211
2013-11-10Northern KentuckyREGW12728.25012.50016.16700 011100205
2013-11-12Michigan StateREGL134716.43845.800311.27325.4002242101019
2013-11-17Robert MorrisREGW124411.36435.60016.16712.5000332203210
2013-11-19UT ArlingtonREGW129814.57134.750510.50057.7141123200326
2013-11-25Cleveland StateREGW139311.27327.28614.250221.000235301319
2013-11-27Eastern MichiganREGW13718.12512.50006.00045.800156410526
2013-12-01ProvidenceREGW13357.71423.66734.75056.8330331102418
2013-12-06BaylorREGL138511.45514.25047.57102.0000221002014
2013-12-10Boise StateREGW131715.46734.750411.36434.7501890005021
2013-12-14UNCREGL129310.30014.25026.333810.8001451201516
2013-12-21BelmontREGW12025.40023.66702.000221.000101100026
2013-12-28LouisvilleREGW136517.29429.22238.37559.55646104112218
2014-01-08REGW135818.44458.625310.30079.77855105212226
2014-01-11REGW126210.20013.33317.14312.500112400226
2014-01-14REGL140817.471611.54526.33358.6252462203323
2014-01-18REGW13639.33314.25025.40000 011000128
2014-01-21REGW136611.54545.80026.33312.5002572201215
2014-01-25GeorgiaREGW132510.50023.66737.42900 0221101213
2014-01-28LSUREGL138918.50046.667512.41700 0772110223
2014-02-01MissouriREGW138814.57147.57147.57101.0000222001220
2014-02-04REGW13428.25023.66705.000610.6002131101210
2014-02-08Mississippi StateREGW12038.37524.50014.250441.0001010100411
2014-02-12AuburnREGW131110.10005.00015.20012.500336110024
2014-02-15REGL136710.70045.80035.60024.5001451005219
2014-02-18Ole MissREGW135612.50045.80027.286221.0001565005116
2014-02-22LSUREGW141717.412613.46214.25059.5560440100120
2014-02-27ArkansasREGL129412.33338.37514.25024.5000113104211
2014-03-01South CarolinaREGL132412.33317.14335.600810.8000223115319
2014-03-04REGW027111.09101.000110.10067.857055110019
DateOpponentType GSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2014-03-08FloridaREGL13536.50002.00034.75057.7140330102314
2014-03-14LSUCTOURNW137617.35338.37539.33368.7500664202221
2014-03-15GeorgiaCTOURNW12268.750441.00024.50000 1230001314
2014-03-16FloridaCTOURNL13038.37526.33312.50067.8570442002413
2014-03-21Kansas StateNCAAW133313.231310.30003.000111.000325100327
2014-03-23Wichita StateNCAAW13759.55624.50035.60000 0880001213
2014-03-28LouisvilleNCAAW12238.37536.50002.00034.750011001259
2014-03-30MichiganNCAAW13657.71423.66734.75000 1341010113
2014-04-05WisconsinNCAAW137511.45549.44412.50067.8571452201317
2014-04-07UConnNCAAL135513.38538.37525.40089.8892570003020
40 Games   391296183450.407101215.47082235.349125177.7064113017167308758357