Josiah-Jordan James shows his value for Vols in romp over South Carolina

Lamont Paris has to be tired of seeing Josiah-Jordan James on the floor. The first-year South Carolina head coach over two games against Tennessee this season watched the senior wing for the Vols score 30 points against his home-state school, shooting 55.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from the 3-point line.

“They’re really good when he’s in there,” Paris said of the Vols. “Talented player.”

James looked refreshed off the bench in No. 11 Tennessee’s 85-45 drubbing of South Carolina Saturday night, making his return from missing four games with a sprained left ankle to score 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-7 from the 3-point line, in just 21 minutes. 

In the 85-42 win at South Carolina on January 7, James scored 12 points in 17 minutes, going 4-for-9 and 2-for-5 from three.

“Really we’re all happy for Josiah,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “We know what he means to the program. He dealt with a lot.”

James needed just 14 seconds to remind anyone who forgot just how big of a role he can play for these Vols. After checking in with 14:12 left in the first half Saturday, he hit a corner three at the 13:58 mark. He scored a team-high 10 points in the first half, making his first three shots of the night. 

It was the first Tennessee had seen of James since the final minute of the 66-65 loss at Vanderbilt on February 8, when he was helped off the floor with the sprained left ankle.

After the Vols lost 68-63 at Texas A&M Tuesday night, James told his coaches he would be making his return against South Carolina. He rejoined practice on Thursday.

“Today, he was terrific,” Barnes said. “And his presence has such a major impact on our team because he’s been in so many big opportunities, big-game situations. I think his presence takes a lot of pressure off of guys. He gives his teammates a comfort. I thought when he came on the floor tonight in the first half he was obviously terrific. I thought he played with great poise and pace.”

Saturday night was only the third time he scored 18 or more points this season. He had 18 against Florida Gulf Coast in November and a season-high 22 at LSU on January 21. He had 15 points and 14 rebounds in the 46-43 win over Auburn on February 4, when his value was never more obvious. 

Tennessee had lost four out of five dating back to the buzzer-beater at Vanderbilt, including two straight on the road last week at Kentucky and Texas A&M. Both James and freshman Julian Phillips (hip) were game-time decisions for both games.

“I felt like I was at a point where I could go out there,” James said of the decision he made to play against South Carolina. “Obviously I’m not 100 percent, but I like I could contribute, whether that would just be giving some of the guards or some of the bigs some rest. 

“Whatever I was able to do, I was going to come out and do it just because I feel like we’re at a point in the season where we need as many people as we can have. And I felt like my body was at a point where, my work that I’ve done with Chad (Newman) and ‘G’ (strength coach Garrett Medenwald), that I was able to get out on the court and contribute.”

Up Next: No. 11 Tennessee vs. Arkansas, Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

James missed two other stints of four straight games earlier in the season due to lingering knee soreness. He had the knee scoped in the spring and had injections done in October, before finally shaking the linger issue in early January.

“It’s been tough,” James said. “My senior year. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into my time here. I feel like I never could’ve imagined my senior year would’ve gone like this, but everything happens for a reason. Just coming in with a mindset of just trying to get the most out of each day, trying to get better. 

“It’s limited work that I’m able to do while I’m injured, but just having a positive mindset. The teammates and coaches that we have here, Chad and ‘G’, even the maintenance people, they give me so much support, so much love day in and day out. It’s hard not to love this place even when you’re going through tough times.”

Barnes let James dictate his own playing time against South Carolina before leaving the game 3:38 left, at the direction of the head coach, with Tennessee leading by 34.

“He got a little tired,” Barnes said, “but I kept telling him hey, I’ll let you tell me. When I took him out there at the end, he said what do you think? I said I think you’ve had enough. Because we know we’re going to continue to need him down the stretch. His presence makes huge difference.”