COLUMBUS – Jehloni James of the Columbus State men's basketball program has signed a professional contract to further his basketball career with Lahti Basketball in Finland.

Lahti Basketball is a Finnish club based in Lahti, Finland that plays in the I Divisioona A which is the second-highest division of pro basketball in the country.

The 6-7 forward from Sugar Hill, Ga., inked his deal after a stellar campaign with the Cougars in the 2024-25 season. James helped lead CSU to a Peach Belt Conference regular season title and an NCAA Southeast Regional Second Round appearance, averaging 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest.

"I am very proud of Jehloni," Head Coach Robert Moore stated. "He has worked extremely hard to achieve his goal to become a professional athlete."

"I wish him the best at the next level," Moore added. "He has made all of us here at CSU very proud."

James shot for 56.5% from the field and 43.5% from beyond-the-arc, proving to be an offensive threat with range. Defensively, he averaged 1.4 blocks per game with a total of 44 on the season, posting 29 steals as well.

The 2024-25 First-Team All-PBC selection garnered six double-doubles on the season, recording 25 games with double-digit points. James started in all 32 contests and averaged 29.3 minutes per contest.