Tennessee has landed the highest-rated recruit of the Rick Barnes era with the commitment of 5-star guard Josiah James.
The 6-6 combo guard revealed his pick on Wednesday morning, with the Vols beating out Clemson and Duke.
James currently attends Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, S.C.
BREAKING: 2019 five-star point guard Josiah James picks Tennessee over Clemson and Duke.
— @GrantRamey (@GrantRamey) September 19, 2018
According to 247Sports, he ranks as the No. 3 combo guard and No. 14 player overall in the 2019 recruiting class.
James is the first 5-star addition for Barnes since he took over in Knoxville in 2015, and the highly-coveted prospect joins Drew Member and Davonte Gaines in next year’s class.
The Vols return their top six scorers this year after going 26-9 and capturing a share of the SEC regular season title last season.