UT Vols: 5-star Josiah James headlines Tennessee basketball recruiting class

Mike Wilson | Knoxville

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A longtime out-of-state commitment, a local product and a recent elite recruit made their Tennessee basketball futures official Wednesday and Thursday.

Five-star guard Josiah James headlines the three-man 2019 recruiting class for the Vols and Rick Barnes. He signed Wednesday afternoon as the highest-rated prospect to sign with Tennessee during Barnes' tenure.

Bearden forward Drew Pember and Davonte Gaines, who is playing a year of prep school at Hargrave Military Academy, round out the class. All three signed in the early signing period this week.

James committed to the Vols on Sept. 19, picking UT over offers from powerhouse programs. He is ranked as the No. 14 player in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite.

"Josiah has a great disposition as a true point guard to lead," Barnes said in a release. "We think he'll fit right into our culture and what we're trying to do. He's already made a great connection with our current players, so much so that it almost feels like he's been with us for a while. He's a guy that we expect to make an immediate contribution and that we'll look to, even as a young player, to bring some leadership qualities to our program."

The 6-foot-6, 198-pound guard had a final three of Tennessee, Duke and Clemson. The Charleston (S.C.) Porter-Gaud School standout also had offers from Arizona, Kansas, Louisville and Michigan State, where his father, Kurt James, played in the 1980s.

Pember, a late-rising 6-foot-9 forward, committed to Tennessee in June. The local product drew interest from Michigan, Maryland, Georgia and Georgia Tech among others. He landed offers from programs including Davidson, Mercer and Florida Atlantic.

He signed Wednesday morning in a ceremony at Bearden.

"Drew is extremely skilled," Barnes said. "He's a tremendous outside shooter, but he really has the ability to do just about everything on the basketball court. He can pass the ball, rebound, block shots, and he's a good decision-maker. He needs to get stronger, put some weight on. But Drew's got a tremendous upside and a real chance to become a complete player for us. We're really excited about him."

Gaines was the first commitment in the class, making his pledge in July 2017. He signed Thursday morning.

He played his prep career at Health Sciences Charter School in Buffalo, N.Y. He graduated in 2018 and is spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy Prep in Virginia..

"Davonte has a tremendous future ahead of him," Barnes said. "We're all excited about the opportunity to work with him, because he has so much potential. What makes him special as a player is his versatility. He has excellent size and length and is an excellent passer and playmaker, which will improve our overall skill on the perimeter. Of course, he also has the ability to score. This season at Hargrave Military Academy will help him immensely."

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