The July between 8th & 9th Grade, Josiah James playing in Phenom’s Summer Havoc

We at Phenom Hoop Report have been following and covering 6’6 2019 Josiah James since he was in 8th grade, starting, at Porter Gaud and playing for local travel ball team TMP. Going into his senior season, not much as really changed with the high profile 6’6 point guard. Yes, he has climbed the national rankings and is considered one of the top 10 prospects in the 2019 class. James is being recruited by the likes of Duke, South Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas, Tennessee, Clemson and a slew of other high major programs. Recently, he played on the USA U18 team.

Fast forward and today Josiah James still plays for a local private school in Charleston, South Carolina and yes still plays for local travel ball team TMP. No one player in the 2019 has seen their stock rise faster, or more significantly, than James. We have written extensively about James “the basketball player.” The strong, athletic and lengthy point guard can simply dominant a game without scoring a point. More importantly, he is a team first player who is constantly looking to get his teammates involved. It goes without saying, James simply makes his teammates better at his own expense.

With all the accolades and media attention given to James, some things haven’t changed. While he could have easily played for a higher profile high school or travel ball team, James has chosen to stay true to who he is, which is quite refreshing in our “me first” culture when it comes to youth basketball. For Josiah James, he is comfortable being who he is. On and off the court, James is one of the most humble players you will meet. He is poised and mature beyond his age/grade and in our opinion is one of the most unique prospects in the country and is a future NBA lottery pick. All that being said, Josiah James has not changed and has set a standard that will be difficult to follow. For Josiah James, it’s never been about himself, he’s been a team player and that will never change.

 

 

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