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Tennessee basketball: 2019 five-star Josiah James has Vols on radar

By Billy Williford

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 15: Smokey, the mascot of the Tennessee Volunteers, performs during a time out in the second half against the Wright State Raiders in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 15: Smokey, the mascot of the Tennessee Volunteers, performs during a time out in the second half against the Wright State Raiders in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Just like the football team, Rick Barnes and the basket Vols are targeting the best players when it comes to recruiting. Vols are on the radar of five-star point guard.

Josiah James is a five-star point guard in the 2019 class from Charleston, South Carolina. He announced on Saturday night that Tennessee basketball is in the running for his talents.

James made his cut down to nine schools, and what an impressive bunch of schools it is. Of course, the two South Carolina schools, Clemson and South Carolina, are on the list along with Duke, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State, Florida State, and Virginia.

It’s rather impressive for the Vols to be in the conversation. It is honestly is a win in itself and should show where the program ranks among the nation.

James would also be Rick Barns first five-star signee while being the head coach at Tennessee. His top-ranked recruit by the star ratings has been Yves Pons a four-star from France.

According to 247Sports Composite Josiah James, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound point guard is the 12 ranked player in the nation in the 2019 class. James is also ranked as the first rated point guard and the top player in South Carolina.

This is great news for Barnes and company for a program that seems to be in the final stage of rebuilding and turning around from the bad recent history. He hasn’t recruited on the level of five-stars however the program is looking better than ever.

Landing James would be huge for the Vols. It could mean the difference between building a steady program or just a good team for a few years. The team is getting older, and in two seasons, they are going to lose all five starters from the past two seasons as well as Lamonte Turner coming off the bench.

Next: Ranking the last four recruiting classes

Losing all those talented players, it is essential for the Vols to continue to recruit at a high level. With James, Tennessee has offered other big-time recruits to continue the success.

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