Now healthy, James looking to find groove down the stretch
It's been quite the up-and-down freshman season for Tennessee guard Josiah-Jordan James.
A five-star recruit hailing from Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, James was one of UT's most anticipated prospects in years dating back to Rick Barnes' arrival in Knoxville.
He averaged 29.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.9 assists per game while being named the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year and helped lead Porter-Guard to three state championships in five years as a starter.
Since he's been on campus at Tennessee, James has struggled to make the same impact for the Vols. Not for a lack of trying, he just hasn't been 100 percent since the season began in October.
Barnes praised James' ability to put his best interests forward and not play through an injury that could possibly plague him later on.
"He's dealt with that injury all year. I'm not saying it's the exact same injury, but it's in that area," Barnes said. "And he told me he'd come back when he thought he could play. I think the way he handled it was the right way to handle it."
James played 30 minutes in his return against South Carolina, tallying nine points and five assists on 3-of-8 shooting while committing just one turnover.
He struggled to find his footing at times, but was able to thoroughly contribute despite missing having not partaken in in-game action since Jan. 28 against Texas A&M.
Despite having been physically unable to participate in full-contact action for the length of that period, Barnes was impressed with James' ability to fight through his frustrations.
"I thought Josiah, for the most part, for not being able to do much for the last couple of weeks went out and was okay," Barnes said. "Some of the things he didn't do is just related to not playing and he needs to clean it up and he will."
The Vols have missed James' ability to impact the game on both ends, particularly on defense and on the backboards.
With the emergence of fellow-freshman guard Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee has had a reliable floor general to turn to, but Vescovi simply doesn't have the length and size that James boasts at 6-foot-6 and 208 pounds.
A large frame comes with its hinderances, however, and James has gotten the worst of those in recent weeks. That hasn't stopped him from being around his teammates each step of the way.
For the Vols to get where they want to go, they need James at full strength.
That means allowing him to get back up to speed, and Barnes has no doubt that James will get reacquainted very soon.
"Now, it's a matter of him getting back and getting his conditioning back where he needs to have it and getting him back into the flow with everybody."
