Tennessee basketball: Vols most likely to leave early in 2021

Size: 6’6″ 207 pounds; Hometown: Charleston, S.C.

Yes, despite the two five-stars coming in, our money is on Tennessee basketball’s only returning five-star as the most likely player to leave early for the NBA Draft. Josiah-Jordan James’ potential hasn’t been fully seen yet.

More from All for Tennessee

• How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
• Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
• Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
• Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
• Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay

Last year, the Porter-Gaud School graduate out of South Carolina was a combo guard who deferred to Jordan Bowden as the primary backcourt scorer and was never the primary point guard, a role that went to Lamonte Turner and then Santiago Vescovi. On top of that, he was banged up throughout much of the season.

However, despite all of that, James shot 36.7 percent from the free throw line en route to averaging seven and a half points, five and a half rebounds and nearly three assists a game. This year, fully healthy and with Bowden and Turner gone, James could explode.

We should not that James had a higher ranking in his class, back in 2019, than Keon Johnson or Jaden Springer did in 2020. He already has the skills of a combo guard and is already a proven defender. Add in the fact that he is very athletic and already has a great shot, and all he needs is a chance to be the main scorer in the backcourt.

This year, expect James to take on that role. He has the most height of any of the five-stars, the only one standing at 6’6″, and he doesn’t really have a weakness. There’s a great chance he becomes Tennessee basketball’s best player this year, and he’s one of only two or three guys on this list who is pretty much a lock to start.