Duke’s Marvin Bagley no stranger to KU walk-on James Sosinski

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward James Sosinski (55) tries to strip a ball from Oklahoma State forward Yankuba Sima (35) during the first half, Thursday, March 8, 2018 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Of all the talented players who will run up and down the CenturyLink Center basketball court tonight, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III projects to have the brightest financial future.

That much was obvious at a very young age, according to a Kansas basketball player assigned to guard him three years ago when Bagley was a freshman in high school. (Bagley graduated high school in three years). James Sosinski, a walk-on football and basketball player at Kansas, was a senior at Hamilton High in Chandler, Ariz., when he faced Bagley.

In the video below, Bagley wore No. 35 in an orange jersey for Corona del Sol High of Tempe.
Sosinksi is No. 33 in the white jersey.

Blink and you’ll miss that at one point Sosinski had Bagley boxed out.

Did he know his opponent, who led his team to a lopsided victory that day, would become a great player?

“For sure, no question about it,” said Sosinski, who guarded and was guarded by Bagley. He’s big, quick, he’s a smart player, knows what he’s doing with the ball. He just kept elevating, kept growing as a player. He was a dominant player when he was a freshman in high school and he still is as a freshman in college.”

Sosinski’s most significant contribution to the KU basketball team comes in practice, when he uses his football strength to lean on Udoka Azubuike.

“Udoka’s big, real big, real strong, real good touch around the rim. They’re two different type players. Bagley has more speed, Dok has more strength to his game, bigger body. Guarding Dok’s a huge challenge every day. It’s something I enjoy doing.”

An all-state quarterback at Hamilton, Sosinksi led the Huskies to a state championship his senior year and went to UMass on a football scholarship. He suffered an injury there and didn’t play.

Sosinski transferred to South Mountain Community College in Phoenix and averaged 19.1 points and 12.6 rebounds for the basketball team.

Still uncertain whether he wanted to play football or basketball, Sosinski rejected basketball scholarship offers from Washington State and Oregon State.

He ultimately decided to enroll at Kansas as a walk-on football player and became a reserve tight end who never made his way onto the football field this past fall.
The Kansas basketball roster became thin up front because of Billy Preston’s situation, so Sosinski joined the basketball team in late November.

Sosinski has totaled four points, four rebounds in eight minutes of action spread out over six games.

If Kansas makes it to the Final Four, Sosinski will miss the first spring football practice. He said he intends to join the football team as soon as basketball season ends.

He declined to answer which season he has enjoyed more at Kansas.

“They’ve both been great,” Sosinski said.