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Tennessee basketball: Ranking all 15 offseason roster changes by impact in 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 23, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) and forward John Fulkerson (10) during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee Volunteers guard Yves Pons (35) and forward John Fulkerson (10) during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Josiah-Jordan James (5) passes the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Josiah-Jordan James (5) passes the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Josiah-Jordan James announces return

A five-star in Tennessee basketball’s 2019 recruiting class, Josiah-Jordan James is about to be one of those rare elite recruits who stays three years in college. He announced he was coming back, or really implied it with his statements about being a leader, immediately after the Vols were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by the Oregon State Beavers.

James is the reason Keon Johnson’s departure is the least important of players going to the NBA Draft. At 6’6″ 207 pounds, he averaged eight points a game last year along with six and a half rebounds, two assists and nearly one and a half steals. When fully healthy, nobody does a better job of playing up-tempo and guarding the perimeter than James.

If he can stay healthy this year, a full offseason combined with Rick Barnes’ ability to develop talent should allow James to blossom into one of the biggest stars next year. He should be on everybody’s radar as a potential breakout candidate, and he keeps the Vols’ backcourt deep.

While Santiago Vescovi and Victor Bailey Jr. were always expected to return and can provide the offense, James is the guy who can provide the elite defense in the backcourt. As a combo guard, he’s also another option at the one. Simply put, his decision was huge for the Vols.

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