McCallie's Cordell James plays against Pope John Paul II in February.Cordell James had ridden out the recruiting process. He'd been as patient as anybody in his position could be, but once an opportunity arose, he wasted no time jumping all over it.
The recent McCallie School graduate signed Monday to continue his basketball career at Morehead State, an NCAA Division I member in the Ohio Valley Conference. Morehead's Eagles finished 18-15 this past season.
James was a three-year starting guard on the Blue Tornado team that advanced to the Division II-AA state quarterfinals before succumbing to rival Baylor this past season. C.J. Reese, who started in the backcourt alongside James the past two seasons, previously signed to play at Southeast Missouri State, also in the OVC.
The McDonald's All-American nominee watched as Reese and other friends made college decisions. He admitted it was frustrating at first, but he continued to remain patient.
"It feels good," he said Monday. "It was late in the process, so it was good to find a school as good as Morehead State. It was tough to see others around me committing and signing, but I remained confident that I was going to end up in a good place.
"I knew eventually something good would come."
After his senior season, James cut the high-top hairstyle he had sported for four years at McCallie. With that came a new attitude -- and some new comparisons.
"People tell me I now look like [Oklahoma City's] Russell Westbrook," he said with a laugh. "Some of the coaches told me they liked the high-top, but some others told me they liked that I had got a haircut."
He had intentions of making an official visit to Penn State after leaving Morehead State on Monday morning, but Eagles coach Sean Woods made him an offer on the spot. James and his mother contacted Penn State coaches, who told the 6-foot guard they had no intentions of speeding up their process.
"We went to Morehead State with no offer on the table," he said. "Coach Woods said he liked guys like me that worked, and my mom liked him too, so that was good, because I definitely wanted her to feel comfortable that she could leave me somewhere that I'd feel at home.
"When she was happy, I was happy."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6311. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.