J. Tyson 16 pts 12 reb
H. Madagan 14 pts 11 reb
N. Thomas 13 pts
J. Hagerman 11 pts
T. Stewart 9 pts 5 asst
H. Madagan 14 pts 11 reb
N. Thomas 13 pts
J. Hagerman 11 pts
T. Stewart 9 pts 5 asst
Millbrook (16-1) 69 to 52 over Fauquier (4-11)
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- Start date
I like the James kid from Handley right now.
Handley's James thrives while taking on larger players
Handley’s D’Andre James (20) handles the ball at the top of the key against Millbrook’s Jordan Jackson earlier this season. Though he’s playing against many taller players in the paint, James is second among the area scoring leaders with a 15.1 average.
D'Andre James pressures Sherando's Chacai Campbell during Handley's win earlier this season. James is a key component in Judges' half-court trap, which has forced numerous turnovers.
D’Andre James is shooting a blistering 69.5 percent from the floor for Handley, which is currently leading the area. The Judges are shooting for their third consecutive Northwestern District title.
WINCHESTER — At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Handley’s D’Andre James certainly isn’t a small guy.
Except on the basketball court.
For the position he’s playing, James often gives up several inches in height or multiple pounds as he takes on an opponent’s biggest players in the paint.
Yet, it’s James who usually wins the battles.
Heading into tonight’s games, James leads the Judges (13-2, 6-0) and is second in the area in scoring with a 15.1 average. He leads the area in shooting at a remarkable 69.5 percent from the floor and grabs 4.3 rebounds per contest.
The senior is not flashy, but remarkably consistent as he scores in double figures nearly every game for the Class 4 Northwestern District leaders.
How does he do it?
James, also the area’s top percentage shooter last winter at 64 percent, may go minutes where he doesn’t even touch the ball on offense, but he is excellent at moving without it. When a defender falls asleep or is slow to move around a pick, James is cutting to the basket and getting a layup.
And if the situation calls for it, he can use his quickness to take a bigger player off the dribble and use his solid body to ward off a defender on a drive to the basket. Because of James’ body control and ability to absorb contact, those defenders have a hard time blocking his shot.
“This came natural to me, the power player,” James said. “I like the physicality. I always like playing physical. Playing against my older brothers when I was younger, it helped me to play physical.”
Handley coach Jason Toton sees a lot of one of the NBA’s greatest players in James’ play.
“I’ve always classified him as an old-school, kind of Charles Barkley-type player,” Toton said. “He can get to the basket. He can finish. He is strong. He can handle the ball.
“He is undersized. Charles Barkley was, too, with the guys he was playing against underneath. He used his body so well and that’s what D’Andre does. In the four years that he has been with us, he’s always kind of been that way. The last three years he’s always been in my post, but D’Andre can get to the basket almost at will when he wants to.”
James, while not as rotund as a young Barkley, likes the comparison to the NBA Hall of Famer.
“I do the dirty work,” James said. “I can score and I can rebound. I can do all of the physical stuff. I have a strong body frame and I can get to the basket when I want, sort of like an old-school player.”
“He’s definitely tough,” Handley senior guard Sam Wise said. “He’s a paint player and he finishes everything down low. Even though sometimes he’s at a height disadvantage, he finishes everything. He’s tough, rebounds the ball and gets after it.”
On the offensive end, James is often on the receiving end of passes from Wise, who has an uncanny knack of finding James when he finds a crease in the defense. It’s a relationship that’s been built via years of playing together.
“We’ve been playing together since early middle school,” Wise said. “We’ve just build up a trust — I know where he’s going to be and he knows I am going to get him the ball in the right spot. I know he is going to make the shot every time. It’s just trust.”
“It clicks like second to none,” James said. “He knows where I am at, I know where he is at. If he passes it to me in the post, I kick it out to him for three. He knows off the pick-and-roll where to hit me. He hits me in the right spots and he’s a great passer. I know if I’m open he’s going to find me.”
“Those two guys have got it going,” Sherando coach Garland Williams said recently after James scored 18 points in a 71-48 win over the Warriors.
But James is a lot more than a scorer and he does things that aren’t reflected in the scorebook.
He’s defending those bigger players. He’s deflecting passes, which often lead to turnovers and layups, out of the Judges’ trapping defenses. He’s helping out teammates.
“He does a lot of things defensively that go unnoticed — stepping over and helping and always being in the right spot defensively,” Toton said. “There’s not too many missed assignments that he has offensively and defensively.”
“That’s what you want in a teammate because you know that he’s going to do the tough stuff,” Wise added. “Those are the things that help you win and winning is the ultimate goal. He’s a winning player. That’s for sure.”
Certainly, the Judges have shown a penchant for winning with James in the lineup. They reached the Class 4 semifinals in 2017 and made it to the title game before suffering a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Lake Taylor last March.
During last season’s run to the state title, James was among the Judges’ most consistent players. James averaged just under 13 points and scored in double figures in each of the Judges’ seven postseason games.
“When the games are on the line, D’Andre rises to the top,” Toton said. “He doesn’t get rattled. He’s always kind of cool, calm and collected. A lot of kids when other teams are making runs and they are putting a lot of pressure on you, they get nervous and scared. D’Andre is not that way. D’Andre, I think, actually likes it. He is level-headed, relaxed and has confidence in himself that he’s going to make the right play.
“He does a great job of getting to the basket and finishing around the rim against more athletic guys and guys that are a lot bigger than him,” Toton added. “Even last year in the state finals against Lake Taylor, he was making baskets and plays under there with guys who are Division I caliber. He did the same thing in the AAU circuit this summer of playing against guys who are going big-time Division I levels. He can play right with them.”
Yet during last postseason, James soldiered on despite suffering a loss that was more heartbreaking than the one in the state final.
Prior to that game, James’ 29-year-old brother Stefan Timmons died.
“He was like my best friend,” said James, the youngest of eight siblings. “When I was younger, I always looked up to him.”
James admits it was difficult to focus on the title game, but said his teammates, especially then-senior Michael Brown, and coaches helped him through the tough times.
“It still takes a toll on me because he was like my best friend, and now he’s gone,” James said. “I’m happy with how far I’ve come. I’ve overcome adversity. Anybody could have folded. I just took it and used it as motivation.
“It made me a lot tougher, mostly the mental part because you always think about it,” he added. “When I get out on the court, I use basketball to help me. Overcoming it was hard, but I feel like I’m getting through.”
Those around James marvel at how well James has beaten back adversity.
“He’s been dealt with some tough things, but it doesn’t change him at all,” Wise said. “He’s still the same D’Andre. He is going to work hard and play tough. Nothing really fazes him. That’s just the type of guy he is.”
“He handled it really well,” Toton said. “I think D’Andre is very mature for his age. I don’t think he’s had the easiest life growing up, but I think it’s made him who he is. He knows how to deal with it and I think that carries over on the court with his level-headedness. With some of the things he’s been through in his life, he comes out on the basketball court and is even keel.”
James is not just a basketball player. He also was a starting linebacker and tight end on the Handley football team. James finished with 52 tackles last season.
On the gridiron, James loves getting a big hit or a pancake block.
“That’s where football comes in handy [for basketball] because I love the contact,” James explained. “Plus, you can create some fouls. Every time I see someone near me, I throw my body into them because I’m strong enough. I can finish at the rim or get the foul call. I just use my body to my advantage.”
And there is no doubt that James will bring an intense attitude, both during games and especially at practices. He goes full speed and takes no mercy on his teammates.
“I feel like I’m a pretty intense competitor,” James said. “I always bring it in practice. Anytime I step between the lines, they know they have to bring their ‘A’ game. I embrace that and come with intensity all of the time. No matter if I feel bad or am having a bad game, I give it my all no matter what.”
“He comes to practice every day and he brings it,” Toton agreed. “There is no B.S. about him. I know every day that he is one of the kids that come in there and give it all that he’s got. We’re blessed to have had him for four years.”
On the back of James’ pregame warm-up, he chose the word “Versatile” to use as his standard for his final season with the Judges.
So far, he’s certainly proving he can do that, both scoring and defending.
“It means to me that you can do more than one thing on the court,” James said. “… I feel like this year I’m taking a bigger role and being more versatile.”
And that’s what gives opponents fits.
“That’s the tough part of guarding Handley,” Williams said. “He plays in the post, but you put him out there and he can truly be the point guard. He can handle the ball real well. He can catch the ball on the wing, pump fake and drive by. Most big men can’t do that.”
Toton says James also shows his versatility in the locker room as a leader.
“When things aren’t going well, he’s the first one to step up and say, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do,’” Toton said. “He’s correcting kids on the court all of the time. He’s getting on them, but he’s right there being their biggest cheerleader as well.
“He holds them accountable, but he knows where the limit is. He’s kind of like another coach on the court to be honest. He knows what is expected of himself and how the program is supposed to be run and he follows through with it.”
James says he is getting looks from Division II, Division III and NAIA schools and looks forward to playing in college.
“Hopefully by the end of the season, Coach Toton and I will sit down and I will have some options,” he said. “… I’m pretty excited to see where I end up.”
Toton says James will have excellent opportunities because he has a strong academic record.
James hopes to major in sports medicine, but if that falls through he has another passion that is a bit of a surprise for a rough-and-tumble post player — the culinary arts. James likes to bake, especially cookies and cakes.
While the future looks bright at the next level, James and his teammates still have business to take care of this season.
Still, the senior realizes how fortunate he’s been to be a part of tremendous success at Handley.
“It’s been a lot. I’m blessed,” James said. “A lot of teams and a lot of kids don’t get to experience going to states. It’s been an honor. I will always remember these days the rest of my life.”
Wise said it has been an honor playing with James, whose size hasn’t hindered him in battling the opposition’s giants.
“He’s got the utmost respect from everyone,” Wise said. “Everyone just knows that he is going to go out and get it done every single night. He’s going to be consistent. He’s going to lead. He’s going to be a leader in the locker room. He’s going to pick guys up when they are down. That’s just the type of guy he is.”
Handley's James thrives while taking on larger players
Handley’s D’Andre James (20) handles the ball at the top of the key against Millbrook’s Jordan Jackson earlier this season. Though he’s playing against many taller players in the paint, James is second among the area scoring leaders with a 15.1 average.
D'Andre James pressures Sherando's Chacai Campbell during Handley's win earlier this season. James is a key component in Judges' half-court trap, which has forced numerous turnovers.
D’Andre James is shooting a blistering 69.5 percent from the floor for Handley, which is currently leading the area. The Judges are shooting for their third consecutive Northwestern District title.
WINCHESTER — At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Handley’s D’Andre James certainly isn’t a small guy.
Except on the basketball court.
For the position he’s playing, James often gives up several inches in height or multiple pounds as he takes on an opponent’s biggest players in the paint.
Yet, it’s James who usually wins the battles.
Heading into tonight’s games, James leads the Judges (13-2, 6-0) and is second in the area in scoring with a 15.1 average. He leads the area in shooting at a remarkable 69.5 percent from the floor and grabs 4.3 rebounds per contest.
The senior is not flashy, but remarkably consistent as he scores in double figures nearly every game for the Class 4 Northwestern District leaders.
How does he do it?
James, also the area’s top percentage shooter last winter at 64 percent, may go minutes where he doesn’t even touch the ball on offense, but he is excellent at moving without it. When a defender falls asleep or is slow to move around a pick, James is cutting to the basket and getting a layup.
And if the situation calls for it, he can use his quickness to take a bigger player off the dribble and use his solid body to ward off a defender on a drive to the basket. Because of James’ body control and ability to absorb contact, those defenders have a hard time blocking his shot.
“This came natural to me, the power player,” James said. “I like the physicality. I always like playing physical. Playing against my older brothers when I was younger, it helped me to play physical.”
Handley coach Jason Toton sees a lot of one of the NBA’s greatest players in James’ play.
“I’ve always classified him as an old-school, kind of Charles Barkley-type player,” Toton said. “He can get to the basket. He can finish. He is strong. He can handle the ball.
“He is undersized. Charles Barkley was, too, with the guys he was playing against underneath. He used his body so well and that’s what D’Andre does. In the four years that he has been with us, he’s always kind of been that way. The last three years he’s always been in my post, but D’Andre can get to the basket almost at will when he wants to.”
James, while not as rotund as a young Barkley, likes the comparison to the NBA Hall of Famer.
“I do the dirty work,” James said. “I can score and I can rebound. I can do all of the physical stuff. I have a strong body frame and I can get to the basket when I want, sort of like an old-school player.”
“He’s definitely tough,” Handley senior guard Sam Wise said. “He’s a paint player and he finishes everything down low. Even though sometimes he’s at a height disadvantage, he finishes everything. He’s tough, rebounds the ball and gets after it.”
On the offensive end, James is often on the receiving end of passes from Wise, who has an uncanny knack of finding James when he finds a crease in the defense. It’s a relationship that’s been built via years of playing together.
“We’ve been playing together since early middle school,” Wise said. “We’ve just build up a trust — I know where he’s going to be and he knows I am going to get him the ball in the right spot. I know he is going to make the shot every time. It’s just trust.”
“It clicks like second to none,” James said. “He knows where I am at, I know where he is at. If he passes it to me in the post, I kick it out to him for three. He knows off the pick-and-roll where to hit me. He hits me in the right spots and he’s a great passer. I know if I’m open he’s going to find me.”
“Those two guys have got it going,” Sherando coach Garland Williams said recently after James scored 18 points in a 71-48 win over the Warriors.
But James is a lot more than a scorer and he does things that aren’t reflected in the scorebook.
He’s defending those bigger players. He’s deflecting passes, which often lead to turnovers and layups, out of the Judges’ trapping defenses. He’s helping out teammates.
“He does a lot of things defensively that go unnoticed — stepping over and helping and always being in the right spot defensively,” Toton said. “There’s not too many missed assignments that he has offensively and defensively.”
“That’s what you want in a teammate because you know that he’s going to do the tough stuff,” Wise added. “Those are the things that help you win and winning is the ultimate goal. He’s a winning player. That’s for sure.”
Certainly, the Judges have shown a penchant for winning with James in the lineup. They reached the Class 4 semifinals in 2017 and made it to the title game before suffering a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Lake Taylor last March.
During last season’s run to the state title, James was among the Judges’ most consistent players. James averaged just under 13 points and scored in double figures in each of the Judges’ seven postseason games.
“When the games are on the line, D’Andre rises to the top,” Toton said. “He doesn’t get rattled. He’s always kind of cool, calm and collected. A lot of kids when other teams are making runs and they are putting a lot of pressure on you, they get nervous and scared. D’Andre is not that way. D’Andre, I think, actually likes it. He is level-headed, relaxed and has confidence in himself that he’s going to make the right play.
“He does a great job of getting to the basket and finishing around the rim against more athletic guys and guys that are a lot bigger than him,” Toton added. “Even last year in the state finals against Lake Taylor, he was making baskets and plays under there with guys who are Division I caliber. He did the same thing in the AAU circuit this summer of playing against guys who are going big-time Division I levels. He can play right with them.”
Yet during last postseason, James soldiered on despite suffering a loss that was more heartbreaking than the one in the state final.
Prior to that game, James’ 29-year-old brother Stefan Timmons died.
“He was like my best friend,” said James, the youngest of eight siblings. “When I was younger, I always looked up to him.”
James admits it was difficult to focus on the title game, but said his teammates, especially then-senior Michael Brown, and coaches helped him through the tough times.
“It still takes a toll on me because he was like my best friend, and now he’s gone,” James said. “I’m happy with how far I’ve come. I’ve overcome adversity. Anybody could have folded. I just took it and used it as motivation.
“It made me a lot tougher, mostly the mental part because you always think about it,” he added. “When I get out on the court, I use basketball to help me. Overcoming it was hard, but I feel like I’m getting through.”
Those around James marvel at how well James has beaten back adversity.
“He’s been dealt with some tough things, but it doesn’t change him at all,” Wise said. “He’s still the same D’Andre. He is going to work hard and play tough. Nothing really fazes him. That’s just the type of guy he is.”
“He handled it really well,” Toton said. “I think D’Andre is very mature for his age. I don’t think he’s had the easiest life growing up, but I think it’s made him who he is. He knows how to deal with it and I think that carries over on the court with his level-headedness. With some of the things he’s been through in his life, he comes out on the basketball court and is even keel.”
James is not just a basketball player. He also was a starting linebacker and tight end on the Handley football team. James finished with 52 tackles last season.
On the gridiron, James loves getting a big hit or a pancake block.
“That’s where football comes in handy [for basketball] because I love the contact,” James explained. “Plus, you can create some fouls. Every time I see someone near me, I throw my body into them because I’m strong enough. I can finish at the rim or get the foul call. I just use my body to my advantage.”
And there is no doubt that James will bring an intense attitude, both during games and especially at practices. He goes full speed and takes no mercy on his teammates.
“I feel like I’m a pretty intense competitor,” James said. “I always bring it in practice. Anytime I step between the lines, they know they have to bring their ‘A’ game. I embrace that and come with intensity all of the time. No matter if I feel bad or am having a bad game, I give it my all no matter what.”
“He comes to practice every day and he brings it,” Toton agreed. “There is no B.S. about him. I know every day that he is one of the kids that come in there and give it all that he’s got. We’re blessed to have had him for four years.”
On the back of James’ pregame warm-up, he chose the word “Versatile” to use as his standard for his final season with the Judges.
So far, he’s certainly proving he can do that, both scoring and defending.
“It means to me that you can do more than one thing on the court,” James said. “… I feel like this year I’m taking a bigger role and being more versatile.”
And that’s what gives opponents fits.
“That’s the tough part of guarding Handley,” Williams said. “He plays in the post, but you put him out there and he can truly be the point guard. He can handle the ball real well. He can catch the ball on the wing, pump fake and drive by. Most big men can’t do that.”
Toton says James also shows his versatility in the locker room as a leader.
“When things aren’t going well, he’s the first one to step up and say, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do,’” Toton said. “He’s correcting kids on the court all of the time. He’s getting on them, but he’s right there being their biggest cheerleader as well.
“He holds them accountable, but he knows where the limit is. He’s kind of like another coach on the court to be honest. He knows what is expected of himself and how the program is supposed to be run and he follows through with it.”
James says he is getting looks from Division II, Division III and NAIA schools and looks forward to playing in college.
“Hopefully by the end of the season, Coach Toton and I will sit down and I will have some options,” he said. “… I’m pretty excited to see where I end up.”
Toton says James will have excellent opportunities because he has a strong academic record.
James hopes to major in sports medicine, but if that falls through he has another passion that is a bit of a surprise for a rough-and-tumble post player — the culinary arts. James likes to bake, especially cookies and cakes.
While the future looks bright at the next level, James and his teammates still have business to take care of this season.
Still, the senior realizes how fortunate he’s been to be a part of tremendous success at Handley.
“It’s been a lot. I’m blessed,” James said. “A lot of teams and a lot of kids don’t get to experience going to states. It’s been an honor. I will always remember these days the rest of my life.”
Wise said it has been an honor playing with James, whose size hasn’t hindered him in battling the opposition’s giants.
“He’s got the utmost respect from everyone,” Wise said. “Everyone just knows that he is going to go out and get it done every single night. He’s going to be consistent. He’s going to lead. He’s going to be a leader in the locker room. He’s going to pick guys up when they are down. That’s just the type of guy he is.”
