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Tennessee basketball: Ranking the top 5 Vols with 2020 NBA Draft potential

By Caleb Calhoun

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Lamonte Turner #1 and Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers react after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 83-77 in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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He hasn’t played one minute of college ball yet, but Josiah-Jordan James already has NBA potential for next year. Likely to be a one-and-done prospect, James is the perfect player to come in and learn from Rick Barnes for a year.

A five-star combo guard, James is likely to come in and immediately start for the Vols. If Barnes does decide to play smaller this year, which he should, James could see a ton of action right out of the gate.

Related Story. Ranking Vols by landing spots following 2019 NBA Draft. light

Then comes the size. James is 6’6″ 190 pounds. So he is a combo guard with the height of a shooting guard who is athletic. It’s the perfect combination for a guy looking to reach the pros and a big reason we have him at No. 2 on this list. He’s walking into a lot of pressure with all the production that’s been replaced, but NBA scouts will immediately be looking at him.

The arrival of James is a big reason the Vols are still looking at being contenders next year in the SEC. Barnes has a pretty solid history of developing highly talented guards, and James is the perfect type of talent for him to work with. That he can play the one, two or three only gives him more flexibility.

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