The Hoosier, son of a former Kentucky standout and an Indian American physician, graduated in 3 years.
Indiana’s James Blackmon Jr. has confirmed through Instagram on Monday that he will remain in the 2017 NBA draft and sign with an agent soon.
The decision by the 6 ft 4 in shooting guard to continue in the June draft comes just days after he attended the university’s graduation ceremony.
The 22-year-old Blackmon now becomes the third Hoosier to look for an agent during this offseason. Earlier, OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant had signed with agents for the June draft.
In two years at Bloomington, Blackmon started 45 games and averaged 15.7 points per game. The Chicago-born player, whose mother is an Indian American, ranks 9th on storied basketball program’s all-time scoring list.
“I would like to thank my family for being there through all of the ups and the downs,” Blackmon wrote on Instagram. “I would like to thank my teammates, who have became brothers to me, for pushing me everyday. I would like to thank the fans and everyone who has supported me throughout my career at Indiana University. I would like to thank God for allowing me to play a game I love. With that being said, after much reflection and discussion with my family, I have decided to remain in the 2017 NBA Draft and sign with an agent.”
He wrote that after graduating in three years, “I am thrilled to take the next step in my basketball career and pursue a lifelong dream.”
Blackmon added: “The past three years have been an amazing ride. Through blood, sweat, and tears, putting on that Indiana Jersey every game and playing in front of die hard Indiana fans was an honor and privilege.The past three years have brought memories and relationships I will never forget. Bloomington will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you Hoosier Nation! #newbeginnings –JBJ.”
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Blackmon’s father, James Blackmon Sr., is a former Kentucky standout and the current coach at Marion High School, his alma mater. His mother Sailaja Blackmon is a gynaecologist in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has two brothers, Vijay and Jalen.
James and Sailaja Blackmon have been married for 23 years. In a 2011 interview to an sports website, Sailaja spoke about her children’s love for basketball. “They’re doing something they love,” she said. “This was not my passion, but it has become my passion.”
Coming out of Marion High School, where broke several of his dad’s records, Blackmon, Jr. was ranked 20th best player in his recruiting class by ESPN.
With Blackmon’s announcing his decision to remain in the draft, the Indiana coach Archie Miller can breathe a sigh of relief as he no longer has to worry about having more players than scholarships as his team will have just 13 scholarship players for the 2017-18 season.