Tennessee basketball: Vols 2019-2020 top 10 individual game performances

3. Josiah-Jordan James at No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats

16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Tennessee wins 81-73

After waiting all year for Josiah-Jordan James to live up to his billing as the five-star combo guard who had committed to Tennessee basketball in 2019, he finally showed it in the next to last regular season game of the year. James, who had battled injuries all year, saved his best performance for the Vols’ toughest game all year.

At the No. 6 ranked Kentucky Wildcats, UT was trailing by 17 points with just over 16 minutes to go in the game. James was scoreless at that point, and then he finally came alive with a three-pointer. That was just the start, though. He continued his red-hot streak, and he hit a three-pointer with under seven minutes left to give the Vols their first second-half lead.

Down the stretch, James continued his dominance. He hit three-of-four free throws down the stretch and scored five points overall in the final 68 seconds, showing his reliability and aggression. It was a great performance overall by him, as he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block.

Beyond that, James was highly efficient, as he only had one turnover, and he shot five-of-nine from the field and two-of-four from the three-point line. He finished four-of-five from the free throw line as well. Simply put, he was effective all the way around, and that second half of play in UT’s best win was the best half of basketball anybody played all season.