Tennessee Basketball: An in-depth look at Volunteers 2020-21 roster
Josiah-Jordan James – 6’6″ Sophomore Combo Guard
James appeared in 27 of the 31 games last season (because of a hip/groin injury that kept him out of four games) and played 29.9 minutes per game while averaging 7.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Prior to arriving at Tennessee, James played his high school basketball at Porter-Guad School in Charleston, South Carolina, and was a McDonald’s All-American in 2019. At the time, he was the first five-star recruit to commit to the Vols, since Robert Hubbs III did in 2012.
James may not have had the kind of freshmen season that many Tennessee fans were expecting, and he certainly didn’t do enough to be able to forgo his final three years of eligibility and move on to the next level, but he undoubtedly showed promise last season. He played a huge role in Tennessee’s upset road-victory over Kentucky, scoring 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting (55.6%), and getting 4 out of 5 free throws to drop in 30 minutes.
He finished the season with 10 double-digit scoring outings, and shot 36.7% from three, and 37.0% from the field. If you were to ask me what stands out the most right now about James’ game, I would tell you that it is his methodical approach to the game. It always seems like he is thinking strategically when he is on the floor, and doesn’t make too many errant passes, or take a lot of eyebrow lowering shots. (but he did have his share of both of them last season)
Yes, he may not be all that flashy, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that he is not the most exciting player to watch, but for the most part, you know exactly what you’re going to get from him. (Which in his case, makes him a more trustworthy player) Why is that? Well, James understands his strengths and weaknesses fairly well, which is why you won’t usually have to ask yourself “what nonsense is this guy going to pull next?”
He is not a guard that is going to blow by you on multiple occasions or use his deceptive crossovers to keep you on your toes, but he will make sure that he doesn’t expose the ball to you so that it doesn’t get it knocked away from him. He is really good when he is able to use his strong body to help give him some room to breathe and get to the free throw line area. (Where he can elevate and shoot a mid-range jump shot.)
He was also able to shoot relatively close to 40% from behind the arc, because of Tennessee’s dedication to ensuring that the ball doesn’t stick in anyone’s hands for long. After a few ball reversals, James had many opportunities to step into open threes, and he often cashed in on them. Being a reliable ball-handler allows him to grab defensive rebounds, wave off a guy like Vescovi, and take the ball up the court himself.
James’ main flaw was exposed a little bit last year when he would occasionally drive to the basket in a nonchalant manner. His lack of urgency sometimes caused him to get stuck in the paint and throw a dangerous pass, or throw up an off-balance runner, as he was fading away from the basket (which is a low percentage shot), instead of going into the body of the opposing big (which is something that his strength should allow him to do successfully).