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4-star PG Shanie James commits to Adia Barnes, SMU Basketball

On3 imageby: Billy Embody10/04/25BillyEmbody

2026 four-star Example Academy point guard Shania James announced her commitment to play for Adia Barnes and SMU Women’s Basketball on Saturday. The Frankfort, Ill. native is a Top 100 prospect and Top 10 point guard for Rivals.

Auburn, Penn State, Houston, West Virginia, Texas A&M and others were involved in her recruitment. The 5-6 guard took an SMU official visit over the summer.

Rivals ranks her as the No. 54 overall prospect and 8th-ranked point guard in the country.

Barnes, who is heading into her first season at SMU, identified earlier this year how she wants high basketball IQ players to join her program. The 2nd-ranked prospect in Illinois matches what she and her staff are looking for.

“I like high basketball IQ. Obviously, you want everything. But I like smart players. I like athleticism, size, because we play a pro style. We are very aggressive defensively,” Barnes said. “Again, the pros, you can’t sit back. You’re in a pack line or a zone. So aggressive man to man. And just good people. I think it’s more about the people than the place. I think yes, you need to win. But if you don’t have the right people, you’re not gonna win anyways. You get the best player that’s not a good player, it kills your chemistry.

“So the right people, athletic, smart, connectors, and for me, tenacious, like blue collar, not afraid to do the little things. And I think that’s why, but I was not skilled. Like I was not. But when I played, you weren’t gonna outplay me. You weren’t gonna outwork me. You may jump, everybody, not me, everybody jumped higher. But the little things. So I like players like that. Intrinsically motivated with the good motor and good people, because I want to like who I coach.”

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