Josiah-Jordan James has always possessed an all-around basketball game, which has resulted in three seasons of starting for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Now the shots are starting to fall.
The 6-foot-6, 214-pound junior guard/forward scored a career-high 20 points during Saturday’s 81-57 dismantling of South Carolina in Columbia. James also amassed six rebounds, three steals, three blocked shots and two assists for the No. 22 Vols, who improved to 16-6 overall and 7-3 in Southeastern Conference play.
“He’s a basketball player, and he’s going to do whatever he has to do to help his team win,” coach Rick Barnes said after Tennessee’s fifth consecutive league victory. “Josiah has always been very unselfish, sometimes to a fault. He’s a connector both on and off the court. Early in the year he struggled, but he spent so much time working on his shot, and I think the better ball movement and playing at a quicker pace has helped him.
“You have to have a guy like that today in college basketball. He can rebound with the bigger players. He’s got versatility, and he’s developed a terrific basketball IQ. He knows our scouting report and what’s going on out there.”