James is a 6-6, 190-pound guard from Marietta Ga. James also won a Georgia state championship as a senior with Wheeler High School as it defeated Pebblebrook 62-52 to win its 11th state championship.
He helped lead Wheeler to a 6A state title in Georgia in 2024-25. He averaged 13.0 points per game as a junior at Wheeler last season. He added 4.4 rebounds and 37 total assists, while shooting 41.5 percent from the field, 36.0 percent from three and 77.0 percent from the line.
James was the team’s most improved player from a 29-3 state championship team.
"Amare is a versatile wing who has the ability to be a two-way player in time," said Brownell. "I love his work ethic, and his competitiveness will be a great addition to our team. I’m eager to see how he develops within our program."
His father played basketball at Evansville from 1996-00 for Jim Crews. Coach Brownell worked for Crews at Evansville in 1991-92. James’ mother played tennis at Southern Indiana from 1999-01.