Josiah-Jordan James swats away question meant for Kennedy Chandler

Following Tennessee’s Second Round loss in the NCAA Tournament against Michigan, freshman point guard Kennedy Chandler did not want to answer questions about his future with the team, and teammate Josiah-Jordan James made that clear.

During the postgame press conference, Josiah-Jordan James interrupted a question, preventing Kennedy Chandler from having to answer.

“With all due respect, he won’t be answering any questions about his future today,” James said on Chandler’s behalf.

Chandler averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season after arriving at Tennessee as a five-star recruit. He is considered an NBA Draft prospect as well, leaving him many options for next season. While the questions about his future will not stop, the answer will come on his own time.

Rick Barnes on Kennedy Chandler

Head coach Rick Barnes later provided an in-depth response when asked about the impact Kennedy Chandler had at Tennessee this year.

“He never, ever made it about him,” said Barnes. “I don’t think he ever walked in acting like I’m a one and done player. I don’t think that at all. He came in wanting to win. I think if you would — you probably saw his emotion. It was much more than that in the locker room, because this is a group of guys that are extremely close. They really have bonded in a way that doesn’t often happen anymore. But he got so much better, and I think so much of that had to do with his teammates.

“I think that Zakai (Zeigler) and Santi (Vescovi) had a lot to do with it. The competition they played with every day in practice and then, you know, he was willing to listen early in the year. I told him early I thought he had some success… I told him, I think you think it’s going to be this easy every night, and it’s not going to be this easy, and you have to be willing to know that you’ve got to grow.

“You’ve got to grow; not just offensively. You’re going to have to learn to guard the basketball and learn how to guard ball screen coverage and all that, and it took him a little bit longer from that angle, but once he decided to — and, again, locked into it, he did. He started working at it. But I go back I think Santi and Zakai and Josiah had a lot to do with him growing the way he did.”