From Keon Johnson's 27 points at Kentucky last Saturday to Jaden Springer's 30 points Wednesday night against Georgia to the thunderous dunk Johnson threw down against the Bulldogs, there is no debating that the five-star freshmen are currently stealing the show for the No. 16 Tennessee Volunteers.
In fact, Tennessee's 82-71 win over the Wildcats and its 89-81 defeat of Georgia transpired with seniors John Fulkerson and Yves Pons combining for just 10 points, with Pons not even playing against the Bulldogs.
Johnson and Springer have indeed been dazzling, but they have also overshadowed the play of versatile sophomore Josiah-Jordan James. Starting at forward for the first time in his career due to the absence of Pons, the 6-foot-6, 207-pounder from Charleston, South Carolina, amassed a career-high 18 points Wednesday with six rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, two steals and no turnovers.
"I think I can be really good, and that's all that I focus on," James said after Tennessee improved to 14-4 overall and 7-4 in Southeastern Conference play heading into Saturday's game at LSU (12-6, 7-4). "I don't try to compare myself to other people. I just try to focus on what this team needs from me and to hone in on my craft day in and day out. I want to make the most out of each and every day and only worry about the things that you can control.
"The ceiling is high for me, and I don't think I'm anywhere near my peak."
His performance against Georgia followed the first double-double of his collegiate career, as James collected 10 points and 10 rebounds during Tennessee's third win at Rupp Arena in the past four seasons. He is averaging 8.9 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game, and his past two outings have yielded a 40% success rate (4-of-10) from 3-point range.
"His basketball IQ is getting to where you want it to be," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "He's starting to understand where he can be effective. We want to see him finish more around the rim, and he did that tonight. There is nothing he won't continue to work at getting better at. He likes passing the ball, and this team likes passing the ball. They like to move it and get it going.
"It's been fun watching Josiah. His hard work paying off. He knows that there will be a time that he's going to have the ability and versatility to play all five positions on the court."
James signed in 2019 as an ESPN, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com national top-20 prospect. He averaged 29.1 points and 12.4 rebounds as a high school senior and became the eighth McDonald's All American in Tennessee history and the first since Tobias Harris in 2010.
As a freshman with the Vols last season, James started in 26 of 27 games and averaged 7.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. He arrived with great expectations and talent, which made him the natural player to whom Johnson and Springer could gravitate.
"I just try to always encourage them," James said. "Coaches are going to coach and be tough on them. They're going to have good days and bad days. Knowing what I went through last year, I just want them to know that if they're having a tough day that it does get better."
Said Springer: "Josiah has been a big help throughout the whole season. Whenever we're struggling, he'll come over and talk to us and tell us what we need to do and things like that. He really just tries to boost our mood sometimes, and he's really been a big help."
Barnes even refers to James as the "calming force" for the newcomers, and given that Johnson and Springer have combined for 91 points in Tennessee's past two victories, James doesn't seem to mind the role of best supporting actor.
"They're really doing a spectacular job, and they're really getting into a groove right now," James said. "I think they're just scratching the surface of where they can be right now."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.