RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings
Wednesday was a huge day for Tennessee recruiting.
During a press conference at Charleston (S.C.) Porter Gaud, 2019's No. 14 player Josiah James was expected by the media to announce that he will play his college ball for home state Clemson. Instead, he picked Rick Barnes and the Volunteers.
The Vols were seen as favorites early on in their recruitment of James before Duke and Clemson were thought to have passed them. However, when he spoke to Rivals.com about Tennessee he always focused on the relationship that the Vols had developed with himself and his family. That relationship appears to be what won the day for Barnes and his staff.
Tennessee has built a strong program under Barnes. With James it has a potential game-changer, and not in the way that is typically expected of elite recruits.
Sure, James can score – and he will do plenty of that. However, it's his ability to play multiple positions. In college he can conceivably play point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward, and be productive in any role, allowing Barnes and the Volunteers to maximize what they get out of James. They can play big, they can play small, they can go for skill or they can go for athleticism. No matter how they want to play, James is a fit.
The star of the Volunteers 2019 recruiting effort, James joins three-star big man Drew Pember and three-star wing Davonte Gaines as early commitments.
