DJ's denouement

Now that Dominic James is back at MU, it's time to exhale. I'll give him credit. DJ went all-out to try to make it to the NBA during the last two months. And despite a consistent chorus of neutral to negative reviews on his skills and play during the evaluation period, James decided it was best to run through the finish line rather than pulling up lame and heading back to Milwaukee before the competition was complete. At the end of the process, James made the right decision -- despite fears that he would not.

As I've pointed out several times, James appeared to create distance between himself and MU during this process, content to trust his own judgement and instincts. In hindsight, DJ's seemingly independent pursuit of his NBA dream created agita for this blogger, but it turns out I didn't give the kid enough credit all along. When the final buzzer sounded, he made the right decision -- something that many others in his situation have failed to do. The poor judgement of others clouded my confidence in DJ's decision-making process; ultimately an unfair characterization. Simply put, James refused to succumb to temptation or hubris. Time and ability are on his side, and he knows it.

So while others will mock DJ for returning to MU with a bruised ego, I'll give him credit for returning with a passion to succeed, the wisdom to make tough choices, and new-found knowledge of what he needs to do to improve his game.

In the end, James demonstrated why he remains on track to graduate early from Marquette. Smart kid.