Tennessee basketball signee Josiah-Jordan James earned several noteworthy prep honors this spring while completing his senior season at Porter-Gaud School in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The top-20 prospect and five-star point guard was selected to compete in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, becoming just the eighth Tennessee signee—and the first since Tobias Harris in 2010—to earn that distinction.
James also was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of South Carolina, and he earned honorable mention on the Naismith High School Boys’ All-America Team.
A five-year starter for Porter-Gaud, James helped lead the school to three state championships. The Cyclones advanced to the SCISA AAA semifinals this spring, with James averaging 29.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.9 assists per game.
James will complete his high school degree requirements in early May and will enroll at Tennessee for mini-term, which begins May 8.
Pember, Gaines Enjoy Successful Springs
Fellow incoming freshman signee and Knoxville native Drew Pember helped lead Bearden High School to the Tennessee Class AAA Championship last month. The Bulldogs avenged their loss from last year’s title game, defeating the defending champs from Memphis East.
Pember was named to the Class AAA All-Tournament Team for his efforts after averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Leading the Bulldogs to an impressive 32-5 record and a top-50 national ranking, Pember also was named to the regular season All-District Team, the All-District Tournament Team and the All-Region Tournament Team. The 6-9 forward averaged 8.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game during his senior season despite being limited for part of the year. He scored in double figures in nine games, had four double-doubles and recorded at least five blocks in seven outings.
Davonte Gaines rounds out Tennessee’s incoming freshman class. His Hargrave Military Academy postgraduate basketball team went 35-3 this season. The Buffalo, N.Y., native showcased his skills with several highlight-reel dunks throughout the year. The 6-7 wing is a versatile player, recording four quadruple-doubles and 11 triple-doubles during his senior season at Health Sciences High School in New York.
Gaines plans to enroll at UT on May 8, and Pember will enroll in June.
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