Recruitment: Tennessee beats Duke as Josiah James commits

Tennessee clinched one of its most important commitments Wednesday when the five-star 2019 Josiah James announced that he had chosen the volunteers.

James chose the Flights over the past four which also included Duke, Michigan State (where his father played) and his home state, Clemson, which was probably the destination. Rookie No. 14 in the 2019 class traveled to Knoxville earlier this month and was in Clemson for an official visit last weekend. Earlier this week, he canceled a scheduled Sept. 27 visit to Duke and announced that he would soon make his decision.

A Porter-Gaud's 6 "6" combo guard in Charleston, South Carolina, James is the most important for Rick Barnes and Tennessee's highest engagement since Tobias Harris in 2010. He becomes instantly the jewel of the three-star Drew Pember and Davonte Gaines.

Barnes has made the current Tennessee team a national competitor without a single rookie among the top 100 on the list. Grant Williams was ranked # 191 in 2016, while Chief Admiral Schofield was ranked # 251 in 2015. James' commitment represents a breakthrough in recruiting for a program that does not not over the Sweet 16 since. 2010 under Bruce Pearl, but won a share of the SEC's regular season title last year despite his selection to finish 13th in the pre-season.

In an essay that James wrote with Frankie Mansfield published Wednesday by the Moultrie News, he recounted how Tennessee was the first "high-profile offer" he received when he was 13 years old. "I will never have that feeling again. They saw something in me from the first day and it was really important to me, "he wrote.

Barnes recently received an extension of contract until 2023-2024. Tennessee will look to continue its momentum as it pursues several other rookies, particularly in the 2020 category, whose goals include five-star guard Jaden Springer.

The 2018-2019 flight season begins November 9, when they will host Louisiana at the Thompson-Bolin Arena.