Josiah-Jordan James Explained

Josiah-Jordan James
Position:Point guard
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lbs:214
Team:Indiana Pacers
League:NBA
Birth Date:5 September 2000
Birth Place:Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
High School:Porter-Gaud School
(Charleston, South Carolina)
College:Tennessee (2019–2024)
Draft Year:2024
Career Start:2024
Highlights:

Josiah-Jordan James (born September 5, 2000) is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

High school career

James played high school basketball for Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina after averaging 29.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.9 assists per game. James led the team to three state titles.[1] He set Porter-Gaud's single game scoring record with 45 points in the Cyclones’ 84–49 win against Northwood Academy.[2] He was named a McDonald's All-American.[3]

Recruiting

James was considered a five-star recruit by Rivals and ESPN and a four-star recruit by 247Sports.[4] [5] [6] On September 19, 2018, he committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over offers from Clemson, Duke, and Michigan State.[7]

College career

James missed much of the preseason with a hip injury. He scored seven points in Tennessee's first two games. In a 75–62 win over Washington, James finished with nine points, five assists and four rebounds.[8] On January 4, 2020, James scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting in a 78–64 loss to LSU.[9] He was ruled out with a hip injury on January 30.[10] As a freshman, James averaged 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.[11] On January 30, 2021, he suffered a wrist injury against Kansas, forcing him to miss two games. As a sophomore, James averaged 8.0 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game. He underwent wrist surgery in the offseason.[12] James averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a junior.[13] As a senior, he battled injuries but averaged 10 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. James opted to return for his fifth season of eligibility.[14] In his fifth season, he averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.[15]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, James signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Indiana Pacers.

National team career

James played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. He helped his team win the gold medal.[16]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee| 27 || 26 || 29.9 || .370 || .367 || .778 || 5.5 || 2.9 || .9 || .9 || 7.4|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21| style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee| 25 || 17 || 27.0 || .390 || .308 || .778 || 6.5 || 2.0 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 8.0|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22| style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee| 32 || 30 || 29.0 || .388 || .324 || .800 || 6.0 || 1.7 || 1.4 || 1.1 || 10.3|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23| style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee| 24 || 14 || 25.2 || .372 || .313 || .861 || 4.7 || 1.8 || 1.2 || .1 || 10.0|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 108 || 87 || 27.9 || .380 || .325 || .801 || 5.7 || 2.1 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 9.0

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Wilson . Mike . June 24, 2019 . Tennessee basketball's Josiah-Jordan James appears in early 2020 NBA Draft rankings . November 19, 2019 . Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  2. News: Mansfield . Frankie . January 26, 2019 . Josiah James overthrows brother for Porter-Gaud scoring record . November 19, 2019 . Moultrie News.
  3. News: Rexrode . Joe . October 24, 2019 . Rexrode: How Tennessee got Josiah James, and why they might have him for a while . November 19, 2019 . The Athletic.
  4. Web site: Josiah-Jordan James, Porter-Gaud School, Combo guard . August 17, 2019 . 247Sports.
  5. Web site: Josiah James, 2019 Shooting guard . August 17, 2019 . Rivals.
  6. Web site: Josiah James . August 17, 2019 . ESPN.
  7. Web site: Parrish . Gary . September 19, 2018 . Five-star guard Josiah James surprisingly picks Tennessee giving Rick Barnes his biggest recruiting win . April 5, 2019 . CBS Sports.
  8. News: Ramey . Grant . November 17, 2019 . James settling in after getting 'way behind schedule' . November 19, 2019 . 247 Sports.
  9. News: Ramey . Grant . January 6, 2020 . Josiah-Jordan James still adjusting to 'scorer's mentality' . January 8, 2020 . 247 Sports.
  10. News: Ramey . Grant . January 30, 2020 . Barnes: Josiah-Jordan James dealing with 'tweaked' hip . February 13, 2020 . 247 Sports.
  11. Web site: Tsoukalas . Tony . How to watch: Alabama basketball vs Tennessee in the SEC Tournament . March 22, 2020 . Rivals.com.
  12. News: Wilson . Mike . May 21, 2021 . Tennessee basketball's Josiah-Jordan James undergoes wrist surgery . June 26, 2021 . Knoxville News Sentinel.
  13. News: Ezman . Alfred . February 26, 2023 . The Tumultuous Senior Season of Josiah Jordan-James . February 21, 2024 . Sports Illustrated.
  14. News: Connolly . Matt . May 31, 2023 . Tennessee star Josiah-Jordan James passes on NBA, will return to play for Vols . February 21, 2024 . On3.com.
  15. News: Rucker . Wes . Vols' Josiah-Jordan James signs with NBA team after draft . July 15, 2024 . 247 Sports . June 28, 2024.
  16. Web site: June 19, 2018 . USA claim the FIBA U18 Americas 2018 Championship . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201130082251/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/fiba/news/usa-claim-the-fiba-u18-americas-2018-championship/cte1c0y5qfnz1n2044lfyk34j . November 30, 2020 . April 5, 2019 . Sporting News.