Everything is part of a plan. Some things are not given in life, but Jamaree Bouyea’s basketball career was earned by his relentless effort. On Saturday night, the 6’2’ point guard tied the record for most steals (9) in the G League, a few days after he signed with San Antonio’s affiliate Austin Spurs.
Bouyea was never looked like the classic NBA-bound guard. In his first year in high school, the California native seemed to be an undersized point guard with enough spurt to leave behind his opponents. His scoring ability wasn’t the first thing you could see in his game.
When he finished his high-school career in Palma, Bouyea was a legend in Seaside, California and the formidable point guard of the high school team. Nothing came easy for him there, as he had limited time on the court to show his talent early in his career. However, Bouyea has a strong character, he’d never thought to give up as he led his school to a 76-16 record in his three seasons.
However, there were still no offers from any D1 college team. Bouyea understood the assignment, but he was never on the court with the purpose of playing for personal gain. Winning is always s priority for him. An offer from San Francisco came at the right time. Bouyea attended the same school that Bill Russell and K.C. Jones joined before becoming NBA legends with the Boston Celtics. The team returned to the final phase of the NCAA for the first time since 1998 with Jamaree Bouyea as the star point guard.
San Francisco had a rich history in the March Madness with 16 tournament appearances and two titles, but, the college lived in obscurity for 24 years.
Bouyea did not become an immediate star in San Francisco. He was buried deep in the team’s rotation in his first two seasons in Hilltop. His junior year brought him up to the rotation and established him as the starting guard. As a senior, Bouyea averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-WCC honors. Jamaree Bouyea is relentless on the court and his non-stop energy helped his team to reach the NCAA tournament during his 5th season in college.
“Honestly, I think coming back to college was probably the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Bouyea. “Not only did I give myself a chance to experience March Madness, but I grew a lot as a player and as a person.”
His three-point percentage went up, while he showed the multifaceted aspect of his game registering more than four assists and rebounds. After living the dream of playing in March Madness, the USF product made the decision to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. He went undrafted, but he quickly transformed to a strong candidate to become either a capable role player in the NBA or even a star overseas if he ever decides to play in a European league.
“He’s really grown on me. The shooting piece is the biggest concern. He’s a good playmaker, runs the pick-and-roll nicely,” an anonymous scout said in an interview with The Athletic.
“He’s definitely a point guard at our level. I can’t see him playing off the ball. He really impressed me at the combine. He’s a tough, smart, heady guard. When you’re a small guard, you need to do something special, and he does a lot of things OK. He’s not elite at anything. He interviewed great. Just a polished kid. I see him in the G League and maybe he makes a team like Jordan McLaughlin.”
Next step should be in Europe for Jamaree Bouyea
For now, Bouyea’s priority remains the NBA. He joined the Austin Spurs for the final games of the season and it’s almost certain that he can find time on the court with San Antonio being in a rebuilding state.
In any case, Bouyea, 24, have the right mix of talent and basketball IQ to become a star in the European level. His energy and ability to become a pesky defender shows that he can be a two-way menace, and there is still belief that he could be part of an NBA roster in the near future.
Spending his first two seasons in Sioux Falls, Jamaree learned among the best being in a franchise that several G Leaguers made the jump to the NBA. It remains to be seen if the Spurs, with whom he signed a two-way contract in March, 2 will open him the door to a standard NBA contract.
His size has been the biggest downside for him in the NBA, but he’s a capable defender helping his team register a 108.3 def rtg when he’s on the floor. With 7.3 assists and a 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, his ability to avoid mistakes and be a safe option in the playmaking department is clearly evident.
That said, and if he’s unable to find a standard deal in the NBA as his 3-point shot is still shaky then a EuroLeague team could make good use of his talents.
