James Graham. “I’m open to a couple other schools jumping in and making a pitch,” Graham said. “I know with Coach (Greg) Gard, they really like to take pride in their evaluation and so sometimes they aren’t as fast with an offer. He can also help a college basketball program on the perimeter since he shoots the ball well from out there. 2018-19. Marquette offered in June and Wisconsin offered earlier this month. Even six months ago, they weren’t able to offer me because I hadn’t gotten to where I needed to be.” One of the factors Graham is weighing is proximity to home, a box that both the Badgers and Golden Eagles obviously check. The Knights finished 27-1 (18-0 North Shore Conference) that season.Graham III is keeping his options open. “I’ve been really intense with it. He’s picked up offers from the likes of Rutgers, Wake Forest and Maryland, with numerous others showing interest. I have no doubt that those three wouldn’t push me, get me out there and get me connected with NBA coaches and teams. He’s close with Duane Wilson, who I know through playing for Wisconsin Playground. It’s just like with Coach Hanson, as long as I make up for it on the defensive end he wants me to stay aggressive on offense. James Graham III wants to continue to prove the doubters wrong and when his time is all said and done at Nicolet High School, he will miss the trials he faced there. A lot of us have been logging hours on Zoom video calls the past couple of months. Now, nine schools are left in the chase.Both Marquette and Wisconsin made the cut for the 6-foot-8 forward who is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the class of 2021.In addition to the Golden Eagles and Badgers, Graham included Auburn, Florida State, Georgetown, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan State and Vanderbilt when he announced his list Monday.Graham averaged 20.6 points per game for a Nicolet team that went 22-2, outscored opponents by an average of 24.2 points over its last nine games and was pegged by many to repeat as the WIAA Division 2 state champion before the season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.A transfer to Nicolet (he already lived in the district) from University School of Milwaukee following his freshman year, Graham was a WBCA first-team all-Division 2 selection this year, but didn’t nab an honorable mention on the AP all-state team.Graham took on a larger role following a sophomore year in which he averaged 7.4 points per game on a team that featured Jalen Johnson and Jamari Sibley.An offer from Maryland on May 4 sparked an interest in Graham from programs all across the country. Graham also learned that, if the basketball thing doesn’t work out, he would make an excellent marketer in the future.“What sets me apart is off the court, how I market myself well," Graham said. Coach (Leonard) Hamilton puts a two, three or four in the league pretty much every year and multiple of them. I’m glad they offered, but I just felt they weren’t going to.”That doesn’t mean UW hasn’t been aggressive in their recruiting pitch since offering earlier this month, though. The best parts of his game are his hesitation pull up and step back shots and he knows that he needs to work on being a better passer and getting his teammates involved.He plays the game for his family and himself because he wants to be the best player on the floor every game. I’m a tough shot maker, not to sound arrogant or anything, but that’s my game. "People ask me how you get offers without playing games. He averaged 20.6 points per game for a Nicolet team that went 22-2, outscored opponents by an average of 24.2 points per game over its last nine contests and was pegged by many to repeat as the WIAA Division 2 state champions.A transfer to Nicolet (he already lived in the district) from University School of Milwaukee following his freshman year, Graham was a WBCA first-team all-Division 2 selection this year, but notably didn’t even nab an honorable mention on the AP all-state team.The Knights' season was cut short by the coronavirus just before they were scheduled to play in the sectional final.