University of Tennessee Athletics
2020-21 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
James, Josiah-Jordan
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Jersey Number 5
Josiah-Jordan James
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Position:
- G
- Height:
- 6-6
- Weight:
- 207
- Hometown:
- Charleston, S.C.
- High School:
- Porter-Gaud School
- Prev School:
- Porter-Gaud School
- Player Shop:
- Shop
Bio
CAREER HIGHS
- Points: 26 // at Kentucky, 2/3/24
- Rebounds: 14 // vs. Auburn, 2/4/23
- Assists: 7 // vs. Illinois, 12/9/23
- Steals: 5 (2x) // last vs. Texas A&M, 2/1/22
- Blocks: 4 (3x) // last vs. Auburn, 2/28/24
- Field Goals: 9 (2x) // last at Kentucky, 2/3/24
- 3-Pointers: 5 // vs. NC State, 12/16/23
- Free Throws: 9 // vs. Vanderbilt, 2/12/22
- Minutes: 39:53 // vs. Florida, 2/29/20
HONORS
- 2024 Preseason Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
- 2023 Julius Erving Award Preseason Watch List
- 2023 Preseason First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
- 2023 Preseason Second Team All-SEC (Media)
- 2023-24 NABC Honors Court
- 2023-24 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2023 SEC Community Service Team
- 2022 SEC All-Tournament Team
- 2022 CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-America Team
- 2021 Wade Houston Leadership Award
- 2020-21 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
- 2019-20 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
CAREER
- Finished third all-time at Tennessee in wins (114), appearances (144) and minutes (4,068).
- Placed fifth on the program’s career list in starts (123), co-fifth in steals (123), eighth in rebounds (844), eighth in made 3-pointers (196) and No. 12 in offensive rebounds (201).
- One of two players in Tennessee history, alongside Vincent Yarbrough, to amass 1,250 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 steals and 100 blocks.
- Totaled 1,270 points as a Volunteer to place No. 30 on the school’s all-time leaderboard.
- Recorded double-digit points 62 times, reaching 20-plus in seven appearances, and accumulated eight double-doubles.
- Set Tennessee’s career records in NCAA Tournament action for both rebounds (65) and steals (16), while placing second in both appearances (10) and wins (six).
2023-24 - FIFTH YEAR
- Game-by-Game Statistics
- VIDEO: Mic'd Up
- VIDEO: Senior Reflections
- VIDEO: "Everything Orange" Podcast
- Among three Volunteers to start all 36 contests, tying the fifth-highest single-season mark in program history.
- Averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game, plus shot 83.1 percent at the stripe.
- Led the team in defensive rebounding (4.8), while ranking second in total rebounding, steals and free-throw percentage, plus co-second in blocks.
- Placed third among Volunteers in assists, minutes and offensive rebounding (1.6), as well as co-third in made 3-pointers (43).
- Recorded three double-doubles, tied for second-most on the roster.
- Became the sixth SEC player in the last 15 seasons (2009-24) to tally 300 points, 225 rebounds, 65 assists, 45 steals and 20 blocks in a single campaign, alongside Cameron Matthews (2023-24), Jaylin Williams (2021-22), Chuma Okeke (2018-19), Ben Simmons (2015-16) and Bradley Beal (2011-12).
- Finished second in the SEC in total defensive rebounds (173), third in defensive rebounds per game, co-sixth in total rebounds (229), co-ninth in total rebounds per game, No.11 in total steals (49), No. 12 in total minutes (1,050) and No. 14 in steals per game.
- In SEC-only competition, came in at co-fifth in the league in defensive rebounding (4.6), No. 14 in total rebounding (5.9) and co-No. 15 in steals (1.2).
- Placed second among Volunteers in number of times leading or co-leading the team in steals (12), blocks (seven) and minutes (seven), plus was co-second in rebounding (eight) and third in assists (five), while also doing so in scoring twice.
- Scored in double figures 13 times, including in eight of the first 12 affairs, with 15-plus six times and 20-plus thrice, the latter co-third-most on the team.
- Placed second among Volunteers in number of outings with seven-plus rebounds (15), 10-plus rebounds (four), 12-plus rebounds (two), multiple steals (15) and three-plus steals (seven).
- Ranked third or co-third in showings with multiple assists (17), three-plus assists (11), five-plus assists (three), multiple blocks (five) and three-plus blocks (two).
- Shot 27-of-28 (96.4 percent) from the line in the final four minutes of contests, the best mark among Volunteers with at least four such attempts.
- Registered the highest single-game defensive rebounding total by a Volunteer (11, twice).
- In his final collegiate outing, totaled eight points, four rebounds, a game-best three steals and a game-high two blocks versus third-ranked Purdue (3/31/24) in the Elite Eight, as well as hit both his 3-pointers.
- Turned in a 15-point showing against No. 11 Creighton (3/29/24) in the Sweet 16, shooting 3-of-5 from deep in the victory.
- In the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 win against Texas (3/23/24), produced nine points and a co-game-high nine rebounds.
- In his final home game, notched eight points and 10 rebounds, including a career-high-tying five on the offensive end, versus No. 15/13 Kentucky (3/9/24), adding two steals.
- Recorded his eighth-career double-double with 11 points and a season-best 13 rebounds, the latter mark leading all players, in the victory at No. 14/13 Alabama (3/2/24), also shooting 3-of-6 from 3-point range and making both of his free throws.
- Poured in a career-high 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting, tying a career best in makes, in the win at No. 10/8 Kentucky (2/3/24), also finishing 4-of-9 on 3-pointers to enter a tie for No. 10 on the program's all-time makes leaderboard with 179, as well as 4-of-4 at the line, while adding five boards to become the 12th Volunteer to surpass 750.
- Became the 15th Volunteer with 100 starts and the 18th with 700 rebounds in the non-conference finale versus Norfolk State (1/2/24).
- Posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double versus Tarleton State (12/21/23) and also became the 48th volunteer to eclipse 1,100 career points.
- Dropped a career-high-tying 23 points against NC State (12/16/23) in San Antonio, Texas, adding seven rebounds and three assists, while finishing 6-of-10 from the floor, 5-of-7 from deep to set a career best in makes and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the line.
- Finished with 12 points, six rebounds and a career-best seven assists, the latter mark leading all players, in the win against No. 20 Illinois (12/9/23).
- Logged 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds and a career-high-tying six assists, his top mark since the 2019-20 campaign, versus George Mason (12/5/23), adding a game-best three steals.
- Registered a season-best 20 points on an 8-of-11 clip at No. 17 North Carolina (11/29/23), as well as blocked two shots.
- Was one of two Vols to record a double-double in the win over Syracuse (11/20/23) at the Maui Invitational, posting 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
- Surpassed the career 1,000-point milestone versus Wofford (11/14/23).
- Totaled 14 points and six rebounds in the win at Wisconsin (11/10/23).
- Buried 4-of-5 attempts from 3-point range to total 12 points in the Vols' 80-42 season-opening win over Tennessee Tech (11/6/23).
- Collected Preseason Second Team All-SEC honors from the league's head coaches.
- After going through the NBA Draft evaluation process, he announced on May 31, 2023, that he was returning to Tennessee for a fifth season of eligibility.
2022-23 - SENIOR
- Game-by-Game Statistics
- VIDEO: 2023 Player Feature
- AUDIO: OFWAF Podcast | Josiah-Jordan James
- For his career, he has scored 968 points for a scoring average of 9.0 points per game in 108 appearances with 87 starts.
- Appeared in only 24 games in 2022-23, with 14 starts, while battling through knee and ankle injuries.
- Finished as the team's fourth-leading scorer (10.0 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (4.7 rpg).
- Shot a career-best .861 from the free-throw line (31 for 36).
- Scored in double figures 12 times, including a pair of 20-point performances.
- Led the Vols in scoring seven times, rebounding seven times and steals five times.
- Scored a team-high-tying 10 points while adding six rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals in the season-ending loss to Florida Atlantic (3/23/23) in the Sweet Sixteen.
- Gave the Vols a bit of everything during their NCAA Tournament second-round win over Duke (3/18/23), totaling seven points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block to help lead Tennessee into the Sweet Sixteen.
- Exploded for a game-high 20 points, with a career-high-tying four 3-pointers, and seven rebounds while leading the Vols to an SEC Tournament win over Ole Miss (3/9/23).
- Returned from a four-game injury absence when the Vols hosted his homestate South Carolina Gamecocks and made a career-high tying four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the 85-45 victory.
- Suffered an ankle injury in the closing minutes at Vanderbilt (2/8/23) that caused him to miss the next four games.
- Recorded his first double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in the win over No. 25 Auburn (2/4/23).
- Scored 14 points and had seven rebounds in the win over No. 10 Texas (1/28/23)—his third double-figure scoring outing in his last four games.
- Posted a season-high 22 points with four made 3-pointers and a team-high-tying seven rebounds at LSU (1/21/23), earning a start and playing 30+ minutes for the second straight game.
- Making his first start since Nov. 16 and playing a season-high 34 minutes, hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points at Mississippi State (1/17/23).
- Scored 12 points at South Carolina (1/7/23) and connected on a pair of threes for the second straight game.
- After missing four straight games due to knee soreness, returned against Mississippi State (1/3/23) to play 17 minutes and put up eight points on 3-of-5 shooting along with four assists.
- Returned after a four-game absence against Alcorn State (12/4/22) and played 14 minutes.
- Returned to the starting lineup against Florida Gulf Coast (11/16/22), scoring a game-high-tying 18 points while making a career-high-tying four 3-pointers and pulling down six rebounds.
- Tied for the team lead in scoring against Colorado (11/13/22) with 15 points on a career-high-tying four made threes, also recording eight rebounds, three steals and blocking two shots.
- Was inactive during UT's preseason scrimmages and exhibition following an offseason knee procedure, but returned for the season-opener vs. Tennessee Tech (11/7/22), logging close to 18 minutes off the bench and totaling eight points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
- Completed his degree in Communication Studies in December of 2022.
- Earned preseason All-SEC acclaim from the league's head coaches as well as a panel of SEC and national media, garnering first-team honors from the coaches and second-team honors from the media.
- Also one of 20 small forwards named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Julius Erving Award watch list.
2021-22 - JUNIOR
- Game-by-Game Statistics
- VIDEO: 2022 Player Feature
- Led the team in rebounding with an average of 6.0 per game.
- Played 32 total games with 30 starts—averaged 6.8 points per game during his first 16 games and 13.7 points per game during the final 16 games.
- Led the Vols in rebounding a team-high 11 times, in blocks 10 times, in steals nine times and in scoring five times.
- Had 15 first-half points—17 total—and a team-high nine rebounds in the first-round win over Longwood (3/17/22).
- Averaged 14.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 9-for-17 (.529) from 3-point range at the SEC Tournament; named to the SEC All-Tournament team.
- Closed out the regular season with a 12-point, seven-rebound, three-steal performance against Arkansas (3/5/22).
- Registered a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting at Georgia (3/1/22), also recording eight rebounds and a season-high five assists.
- Narrowly missed out on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in the win over #3 Auburn (2/26/22).
- Registered his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Vanderbilt (2/13/22).
- Scored a team-high-tying 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting in a game-high 38 minutes at Mississippi State (2/9/22).
- Playing in his home state, posted a career-high 20 points, while also tallying six rebounds, three blocks, three steals and four made threes at South Carolina (2/5/22).
- Recorded a season-high 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds against Texas A&M (2/1/22).
- Scored 11 points and made three 3-pointers at Texas (1/29/22), including eight during Tennessee’s late-game comeback.
- Had a nine-point, nine-rebound, four-assist effort in a season-high 38 minutes against Florida (1/26/22).
- Made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points while also grabbing four rebounds at Kentucky (1/15/22).
- Recorded his second career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds against South Carolina (1/11/22).
- In a season-high 32 minutes during the win over No. 6 Arizona (12/22/21), scored 12 points and had five rebounds.
- Broke out of a shooting slump by hitting a career-high four 3-pointers against UNC Greensboro (12/11/21), scoring 12 points.
- In his first game back after missing three games due to injury, scored five points, was a team-high +22 in 26 minutes of action and also posted team highs in rebounds (9) and blocks (4) at Colorado (12/4/21).
- Was a defensive nuisance in Tennessee's season-opening win over UT Martin (11/9/21), setting career-highs for steals (5) and blocks (4) during a steady +26 plus/minus effort.
- Switched from jersey No. 5 to jersey No. 30; his father (Kurt James, Michigan State) and brother (K.J. James, Valdosta State) both wore No. 30.
2020-21 - SOPHOMORE
- Game-by-Game Statistics
- Was selected to participate in the prestigious VOLeaders Academy, a year-long student-athlete leadership curriculum.
- An extremely versatile player who impacted the action both on the perimeter and in the paint, he appeared in 25 games with 17 starts.
- Averaged 27.0 minutes per game—third most on the team.
- Led the Vols in total rebounding (6.5 rpg), offensive rebounding (2.1 orpg) and steals (1.4 spg).
- His 1.6 steals per game during SEC play ranked ninth in the league.
- Led the team in rebounding 13 times and steals 11 times (both team highs).
- Averaged 8.0 points overall and 7.4 points in SEC play; scored in double figures nine times.
- Grabbed a career-high-tying 13 rebounds in Tennessee's NCAA Tournament first-round game against Oregon State (3/19/21); the performance marked the fifth-most rebounds by a Vol in an NCAA Tournament game.
- Came off the bench to record 12 points, nine boards and five assists in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal vs. Florida (3/12/21).
- Returned from injury in the win at Vanderbilt (2/24/21), playing 29 minutes off the bench and logging five rebounds and three steals.
- Scored a career-high 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also tallying six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, two steals, and tying his career-high in free throws made with six against Georgia (2/10/21).
- Posted his first career double-double in the comeback win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena (2/6/21), totaling 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Stuffed the stat sheet in the win over No. 15 Kansas (1/30/21), logging nine points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a block.
- Scored 17 points, reeled in a game-high nine rebounds and added three steals in the win over Arkansas (1/6/21).
- Had a versatile showing against Alabama (1/2/21), recording eight rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.
- Was productive during the road win over #12 Missouri (12/30/20), tallying four assists, three offensive rebounds, three steals and a block.
- Recorded 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win over USC Upstate (12/23/20).
- Poured in 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while also pulling in six rebounds and dishing off three assists in UT's victory over Tennessee Tech (12/18/20).
- Was the most complete performer in the Vols' 79-38 victory over Appalachian State (12/15/20), notching 11 points and eight rebounds (five offensive boards).
- Enjoyed a balanced effort in Tennessee's win over Cincinnati (12/12/20), tallying eight points, three assists and three steals; he also was a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line.
- Opened his sophomore season with a balanced effort that included eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals as the Vols downed Colorado (12/8/20).
- Wore jersey No. 5.
2019-20 - FRESHMAN
- Game-by-Game Statistics
- Closed his freshman season ranking second on the team and 19th in the SEC in rebounding with 5.5 boards per game.
- Led the team in 3-point percentage (.367) and ranked second in assists (2.9 apg).
- Scored in double figures 10 times, led the team in assists 10 times and was UT's top rebounder seven times.
- Elevated his offensive output during SEC play, averaging 8.2 points and a team-best .426 3-point percentage.
- Scored a career-high 16 points (all in the second half) to go along with seven rebounds and five assists in UT's huge road win at sixth-ranked Kentucky (3/3/20).
- Put together his most complete performance of the season in the Vols' home triumph over Florida (2/29/20), tallying 12 points, eight rebounds, a season-high-tying six assists, two blocks and a steal.
- Off the bench at South Carolina (2/15/20), he finished with nine points, five assists, three boards, two blocks and a steal in 30 minutes of action in his first collegiate appearance in his home state.
- Poured in 11 points and dished off a season-high-tying six assists in Tennessee's victory over Ole Miss (1/21/20).
- Recorded game-highs in assists (5) and rebounds (9), while rejecting a season-high three shots and scoring six points in Tennessee’s road win at Vanderbilt (1/18/20).
- Scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in UT's home win over South Carolina (1/11/20).
- Scored 11 points and brought down a game-high seven rebounds in Tennessee's victory at Missouri (1/7/20).
- Scored a career-high 15 points while knocking down three 3-pointers in UT's SEC opener against LSU (1/4/20)
- Dished off a season-high six assists, scored eight points and brought down six rebounds in UT's win over Jacksonville State (12/21/19).
- Poured in a then-season-high 14 points against Memphis (12/14/19) while adding a season-high three steals on the defensive end.
- Scored in double figures for the first time in his collegiate career in UT's victory over Florida A&M (12/4/19), finishing with 10 points.
- Pulled down 11 rebounds during UT's 58-46 victory over Chattanooga (11/25/19).
- Brought down a season-high 13 rebounds and dished off five assists in Tennessee's 76-41 win over Alabama State (11/20/19).
- Was effective on both sides of the floor, scoring nine points, pulling down four rebounds, dishing off five assists while nabbing two steals as a starter in UT's victory over 20th-ranked Washington (11/16/19).
- Started against Murray State (11/12/19), tallying five points, two rebounds, an assist and a block in the UT victory.
- Made his Tennessee debut as a starter in the season-opener against UNC Asheville (11/5/19) and tallied two points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in the victory.
- Wore jersey No. 5.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Graduated from Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was coached by John Pearson.
- Was a national top-20 prospect according to Rivals (No. 14), 247sports (No. 14) and ESPN (No. 20) and was the highest-rated prep basketball player ever to come out of the South Carolina “Lowcountry.”
- Became the eighth Tennessee signee selected as a McDonald’s All-American—the first since Tobias Harris in 2010.
- Was named the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of South Carolina and also earned honorable mention on the Naismith High School Boys' All-America Team.
- A five-year starter for Porter-Gaud, he helped lead the school to three state championships.
- The Cyclones advanced to the SCISA AAA semifinals during his senior season in 2019, with James averaging 29.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.9 assists per game.
- Was a member of the United States team that won gold at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
- Was a high school teammate of Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith.
- Attended the same high school as NBA All-Star and 2021 Finals champion Khris Middleton.
- Played his AAU ball with the Charleston-based TMP program under coach Antoine Saunders.
PERSONAL
- Full name is Josiah-Jordan James
- Born Sept. 5, 2000, in Charleston, South Carolina
- Son of Sonya Brice and Kurt James
- His mother is a former Division I basketball official.
- His father played basketball at Michigan State under head coach Jud Heathcote and was a Spartans co-captain in 1981-82.
- His older brother, K.J. James, exhausted his collegiate eligibility at Valdosta State in 2018 after beginning his career at High Point.
- Four of his uncles also played college basketball: John James III (Ball State), Kevin James (Alabama State), Anthony Fletcher (Hawai'i) and Noel Gilliard (Furman).
- Became a serious yoga enthusiast during the pandemic shutdown in the spring/summer of 2020.
- Academic Major: Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (master's level); completed his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies in December 2022.
- Recipient of the Cade Family Athletic Endowed Scholarship and the John Stokely Family Athletic Endowment
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Tuesday, September 23
MBB | Ethan Burg Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
MBB | Ja'Kobi Gillespie Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
VFL Grant Williams Commits $1.5 Million Gift to Tennessee
Thursday, September 18
