Cincinnati guard Jizzle James dismissed from program

Cincinnati guard Jizzle James has been dismissed from the program, head coach Wes Miller announced Tuesday. Miller cited “personal issues” in a statement.

James is coming off his second season at Cincinnati – his first in a starting role. He set new career-highs with 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore after emerging as a key contributor as a freshman in 2023-24.

Miller confirmed James’ removal from the Cincinnati roster last week. He also said he wouldn’t have any further comment since it relates to a personal situation.

“Jizzle James has been dealing with personal issues throughout the summer,” Miller said. “We removed him from the team last month. He is not currently a member of our basketball program. As this is a personal matter, I will have no further comment at this time.”

James arrived at Cincinnati in 2023 as a highly rated recruit out of Orlando (Fla.) Olympia. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 72 overall player from the cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was also the No. 7-ranked player from the state of Florida.

Cincinnati finished 19-16 last season, including 7-13 in Big 12 play, to just miss out on the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats competed in the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament, where they fell to UCF in the second round in Las Vegas.

Cincinnati was active in the transfer portal this offseason, as well, adding six players. The biggest addition was former UCF center Moustapha Thiam – the No. 12 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He averaged 10.4 points , 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks last year for the Knights before entering the portal.

As for what’s at stake for Cincinnati this year, On3’s James Fletcher III predicted it could turn out to be a big one for Miller. Although he doesn’t have an NCAA Tournament appearance during his time with the Bearcats, the program could be in position to contend in a jam-packed Big 12 this season.

“Wes Miller might be the best coach in college basketball without an NCAA Tournament win, something he hopes to change this season with a new-look Cincinnati roster which invested big in top-end talent,” Fletcher wrote. “While they also lost some of last year’s production, he has a group capable of getting him over the hump.

“After coming close on multiple occasions, Miller remains on the verge of the breakout conversation. However, he is getting dangerously close to a different conversation about the lack of postseason success if he does not find a way past the hurdle soon.”