2011-12 stats

2011-12: After a stellar freshman year in which he averaged 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, Kelly has garnered attention as one of the top JUCO players in the nation. This past summer, Kelly was selected for the Mullens Top 100 JUCO camp in St. Louis, Missouri. As a freshman with the Express, his started 29 games and totaled 34 assists, 48 blocks and 52 steals. He broke the program's single season blocks record. In OCCAC play, he averaged 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. On Feb. 19, he was named OCCAC Player of the Week thanks in large part to his 34 point, 21 rebound game against Lakeland CC. Those 21 rebounds broke the 27-year-old single game record. Following the year, he was named Second Team All-OCCAC and was the team's co-MVP with Justin Edmonds.

Prior to Owens: Kelly came to Owens as an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-Michigan selection his senior year. He didn't start playing basketball until his junior year, yet he posted a 24-point, 12-rebound performance in his first high school game. Later in that season, he had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 blocks in a game against Chelsea. Kelly played for Rex Stanzach at Ann Arbor Pioneer. In the summer following his senior year, he won the Best of the Midwest Dunk contest at Speece Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne, IN.

Personal: James is the son of Desi Kelly Sr. and Darlene Isom. He has one brother, Desi Jr.