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The dominoes have fallen into place to allow Juco All-American James Rojas to join Alabama. With Monday announcements of Trendon Watford committing to LSU and freshman guard Diante Wood transferring to Jacksonville U. in Florida (not to be confused with Jacksonville State in Alabama), the Crimson Tide still had a slot to fill.
Coach Nate Oats made the official announcement Tuesday morning that the forward has signed with the team. Rojas originally signed with Buffalo during the early signing period but was allowed out of his commitment once Oats moved to Alabama.
“I’ve known James since his early high school years and have developed a great relationship with him and his mother,” Oats said. “He’s exactly what we’ve been looking for in a player starting with the fact that he’s one of the toughest players I’ve ever seen. He’s the ultimate competitor and cares about the team winning first and foremost. He plays with a chip on his shoulder determined to prove he can play with anyone in the country and despite having achieved a great deal the last two years, I know James will still be playing with same chip on his shoulder. Experienced, tough, competitive & skilled players are who you win with in today’s game. His loyalty, drive, and humility fit our culture we’re building here at Alabama. James embodies all those qualities and we’re ecstatic to welcome him into our program.”
Listed at 6’8”/215 lbs, he was first-team NJCAA All-American at Hutchinson Community College this past season. Originally from Jamestown, NY, Rojas averaged 19.0 ppg connecting on 50.4% (176-349) of his field goals. He was 38.4% from beyond the arc and 79.5% at the charity stripe. He registered 6.8 rebounds per game and 2.2 assist per game. (Full stats) Rojas has two years of eligibility remaining.