James Blackmon Jr.
#24
James Blackmon Jr. did more than follow in his father’s footsteps. He broke his records. In one memorable season for the Giants, he set school records for points in a game and season and finished third in the 2014 Indiana Mr. Basketball voting.
In a four-year career split between Fort Wayne Luers and Marion, Blackmon Jr. became the ninth Hoosier high school player to score more than 2,000 points.
Arriving to Marion with his father, James Blackmon, the new Giants basketball coach, the younger Blackmon already was well known for his long-range shooting skills. He committed to Indiana University before playing a high school game and then reaffirmed his decision before the start of his senior year. During the summer, Blackmon Jr. excelled in national AAU tournaments, and ESPN ranked him the 20th best player in his class in the nation.
In his first game for the Giants, Blackmon Jr. broke his father’s record with 54 points against Irvington Prep Academy, and he played only half the game. He also had a 48-point game against Huntington North and had two other games with 40 and 42 points. Fueled by Blackmon’s dominating play, the Giants set a team record by averaging 80.1 points during an 18-5 season.
Blackmon Jr. scored 701 points and averaged 33.4 points, eclipsing two more of his father’s long-held records. The 6-foot-3 guard also was the Giants’ most prolific 3-point and a free-throw shooter for one season, connecting on 88 of 186 from behind the arc and 169 of 182 at the line.
Following the season, Blackmon Jr. played in the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he won the 3-point shooting contest and the Jordan Brand Classic. He was also named to the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team for the Nike Hoop Summit. In the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star game, Blackmon Jr. scored 43 points for the third-highest output in the 75-year-old series and was named co-MVP.
He moved on to IU after rekindling excitement in the Giants boys’ basketball team.