Episode 135: Vols add five-star point guard

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a huge development for the Tennessee basketball program.

Five-star point guard prospect Josiah James stunned the hoops world Wednesday morning by committing to Tennessee. The nation's No. 14 overall prospect in the 2019 industry-generated 247Sports Composite is a Michigan State legacy from Charleston, S.C., but he turned down Michigan State, Duke and practically every other program in the country and chose Rick Barnes' Vols.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound James is an impressive southpaw specimen who can play practically anywhere on the floor but was recruited by Tennessee as a point guard, and the Vols believe he has the physicality and maturity to be an instant-impact player. Recruiting analysts obviously share that assessment, considering his ranking.

How did Barnes and Co. finally close the deal on a five-star prospect after coming so painfully close and falling short on a few others? There were several reasons, and those reasons are the primary focus of this episode.

A couple of other basketball notes — former Tennessee star Josh Richardson's impressive ranking on CBSSports.com's list of the NBA's top 100 players, and some preseason-ranking top-five for the defending SEC-champion Vols — are discussed in this episode, but insight into James' commitment and his future in Knoxville are the main topics.

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