NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of South Carolina of last decade

6. Josiah-Jordan James – Tennessee

The story is not fully written on James, who has spent the last three seasons in a starring role at Tennessee. A 6’6 guard from Charleston, he was a five-star recruit brought to Knoxville by Rick Barnes and put in a position to succeed. He’s been a key player the last three years and his career isn’t quite finished yet either.

His numbers have been solid across the board throughout his career, already averaging 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists during his freshman season. This point guard has been vital to Tennessee’s success in recent years, helping lead the Volunteers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. He had a career-high 23 points late in the season against Georgia and helped the Volunteers to the SEC Tournament title. This junior season saw him average 10.3 points a game, becoming even more of a scorer in this offense.

The offensive numbers are looking nice, but James also rates as one of the best defensive guards in the SEC. He is among the national leaders in a few defensive metrics while serving as a talented distributor for the Volunteers’ offensive attack. He’s one of the faces returning to Tennessee next year, leading a squad that has some high expectations with the talent in Knoxville. Don’t be surprised to see James blossom into a household name if he can take another step forward as a senior.