Austin Price: Hello, we're invited to welcome in for another episode of All Club Confidential. I'm your host, Austin Price. Hope you had a chance to catch up with Rick Barnes last visit. He was fantastic. Some great stories by Coach Barnes. Tonight we have Josiah Jordan James on the show, but before then we bring in the volunteer clubs, James Clason and James. You're wearing the new Lays, which were designed by members of the El Molly Ava family. You have gray and orange, orange and white, and there's a black and orange one as well. So depending on the color, a combination of the uniform, you've got different options. Yeah, James Clawson: Maybe working on a solid orange too, so depending on the uniform combination, you could coordinate accordingly. But yeah, we've got some new gear on our website. We're really excited about a lot of new designs, so we have a lot of memorabilia on the website and obviously the Lays, which were designed by Nico's Ant, so we're really excited about that. Austin Price: When you look at the shape of NIL this off season, it feels like it's been more wild than ever. What's that been like? James Clawson: I mean, you've got the two Austin Price: Time transfer, James Clawson: Two time transfers now. So guys on your current roster that you thought were good now may not be good. Now we're through the January deadline to get into the portal, but obviously we'll have to think about the portal in May with some guys that have transferred here once but could theoretically transfer again. So it's just been not getting too high and not getting too low, but just kind of taking a deep breath and one day at a time, Austin Price: And you guys have been working in lockstep with the university and really are in a real simpatico right now on just the direction of NIL and make sure you're there for the student athletes on campus. Yeah, James Clawson: We got a great relationship with Tennessee. We have a great relationship with the Vol Network, so we do a lot with them. We're trying to do our part to educate athletes now coming up on tax season and different things like that to help 'em think about financial literacy, accounting and different things that are practical for their life and we'll help them, as they say, go through school and life. Austin Price: That's good. I'll send you my taxes to do as well. All right. James Clawson: You do that. Austin Price: He's James Clawson. Now let's get to tonight's special guest. That being Josiah Jordan James. First ever Vol Club Confidential. It was you and Cedric Tillman and you were more co-hosts that night than you were. Kind like anything else, you just kind, I told you afterwards, I'm like, you could do TV one day whenever you're playing career's done. I wanted to have you back out and do more of a deep dive on you. When last season ended, you went through senior day and all that and then you left, right? You're gone and you're preparing for the NBA draft. Did you think you were done? At what point did you think I might actually go back? Josiah-Jordan James: Well, in my exit interview every year we have exit interviews with the coaches. I told them, I was like, yeah, you create the roster however you want. You can get guys in my position, my skills, whatever, because I wanted them to go forward. I wasn't coming back and I wanted to be all in within the NBA draft process, and I really did enjoy it. I spent two months down in Miami with my agency and got to know a lot of guys and got to know a lot about myself and just became invested and becoming the best version of myself I could possibly be. And I didn't start thinking about the return until I was in constant talks with Coach Barnes, just letting him know how everything was going. He would call and check in on me and I'd ask how workouts and spring training was going. And it wasn't until after our NBA, so I was invited to the G League combine, and it was after that where it was a couple of days you had to make a decision. I think it was the 30th of June. I had to make a decision by, I think it was the 25th is the day we got done. And I told him I had gotten really good feedback and I feel like either decision that I made it was going to be, it was a win-win situation for me, but I just felt like the way last year ended and I wasn't able to perform at the level I wanted to just because of injury. I wanted to end it a better way and I had guys like Santi and Zaka recruited me to come back and it's hard to say no to coming back to Knoxville, Tennessee with so many great things that it provides and I ultimately decided to come back and I haven't looked back since. Austin Price: You get that New York accent with Zaka in your ear and you just can't get rid of it. Josiah-Jordan James: Can't get rid of it. That little guy, I mean he's had such a big impact on me. He has no idea, but he's like my brother. He knows that his family's my family and vice versa, and he was definitely in my ear the entire time Austin Price: You come back, but you're not on scholarship when you first come back given away too many scholarships. So you're back as a walk-on for a brief moment in time. Then Chris Lule ends up going and going to St. John's and you're back on scholarship. How different was that? You were never going to be looked at that way, but at the same time, I'm sure you were like, this is kind of different. Josiah-Jordan James: For sure. My hope was to hopefully be the best walk-on player in college basketball. That's what my dream was. But then things worked out differently. Chris got to know him really well in the brief stint that we had together. We still keep in contact to this day, but I was able to receive my scholarship back, but it was a different dynamic for sure. The coaches were ragging on me and things, but it was funny for the time being, you Austin Price: Talk about some of these players making you feel old, giving you a hard time. Football's got that same way. I mean you have Keenan Peeley who literally will be 26 when next year starts. I mean, he can rent a car. You're not that old yet. You can't rent a car yet. Josiah-Jordan James: Just 23. Austin Price: Just 23. But at the same time for this roster, you one of the older guys, you and Santi, do you two ever look around and go, man every Josiah-Jordan James: Day? Because we have Cam Carr and Freddy, who I think were both born in 2003, and it's like they think, they ask me all the time about players who are in the NBA. Did you play against him? This guy, that guy, guys who are like six and seven years older than me. I'm like, I'm not that old. It's really not that far apart. But they'll make comments and Santi and I would be like, man, you remember when we used to act like that or say things like that. We'll always catch ourselves doing that, but they keep us young for sure. They tell us how old we are and I'll admit I have some old habits when it comes to just everyday life, but my teammates keep me very young and keep me on my toes for sure. Austin Price: How's the body feeling now? You talked about not ending the way you wanted to end. You were kind of banged up a year ago. How different does the body feel? Josiah-Jordan James: My body feels great this entire summer and preseason. This was the first year where I didn't have any injury. I didn't miss a single practice, a single workout, and I'm just grateful to be in this position. I've been through so many injuries since my time here. I think it's just a full circle moment. I think I have to credit, give a lot of credit when credit is due to G and Chad and other personnel that have gotten me through injuries and surgeries that I've been through. But I feel like it's all taught me about being a pro. Every injury, every setback that I've had has prepared me for this season and the season that I've been able to have a healthy season. I pray that I keep it this way and I don't miss any games, any practices, but I think that during the time when I was injured and going through things, it was tough, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. I think that I've reached Austin Price: It. When you look at this team, you go back Dalton two or three games against Ole Miss I think would have eight. It's like three or six from the floor. Everybody's like, oh, he's a little bit of a slump. Then the last two games he goes is bananas, right? Both on the road, there have been times where as Santi does that you do that where you kind hit that little lull. For a guy like Dalton who again is playing at this level for the first time, how much do as older guys have to step in and say, it's okay, this is going to happen, that's why we're here to pick you up. Jonas comes up with a huge game in that Ole Miss game and other players as Josiah-Jordan James: Well. I mean, we really don't overreact to bad games because I mean, you play bad for 40 minutes and it is what it is, but you got to wash it. You got to wash it out. And the one thing I love about basketball is we play two games a week, and so right after you're done with one game, you're on to the next one and every game has a different set of challenges, but we really don't overreact because we know the work that we've put in. We know how we're built as a team, as a unit and as individuals that we'll bounce back and we know that when everybody's clicking at the right time, we don't need to peak too early. We never want to peak too soon, but we'd have to be playing our best basketball at the right time, which is at the end of the year. Austin Price: You look at a guy like Freddy, he comes here when he gets here. I mean Dalton's not here and you're leaving, Ty's leaving. I mean all of a sudden he looks up and all these guys are here and kind of in front of him. How much do you have to look back on your time and remind him like, Hey, I was at this point when I was a freshman too. I know everybody wants to play right away, but sometimes you just got to kind of be patient for, he's starting to see a little bit more playing time. Josiah-Jordan James: 100%. He's proven it in practice, going against Zaka, going against Jamiah and JG and Santi at the guard position every day. Been tough for him, but it's also prepared him and he's starting to become into his own being a better playmaker, a better all around player and he knows that and he's taken it upon himself just to be a sponge. It's not often you get too many guys with so much experience ahead of you that because as freshmen as highly talented, how touted and recruited as he was, you want to come in and play right away. But he's been great at just absorbing as much information from the players and coaches as possible. And that's why I think it's been stepping stones for him and he's been able to see more minutes on the court now. Austin Price: When you look at the totality of your career, what are you most proud Josiah-Jordan James: Of? I'm really just proud of the way I've persevered because there's so many things that I've had to battle through and I haven't done it alone. I give credit when credit is due to my family, to my support system, my teammates and coaches and everybody involved in Tennessee Athletics. But I just feel like my story is a story of resiliency. You come in as a five star recruit, having all these expectations that I put on myself, not even the outside expectations, but not really living up and playing the way I wanted to and just grinding every year, year after year after year, whether I'm injured or playing, just being a great teammate and a great leader to get me to where I am today. So I just think my story is a story of resiliency and I'm proud of myself for sticking it through because I know in today's day and age, a lot of people would've quit. A lot of people would've gone elsewhere, but my mom always told me, if you start something you better finish it. And I'm hoping I can finish this the right way. Austin Price: I'm with you there. I look at Jabari Small on the football team, that's my guy, and I have so much respect for he's going, go take a shot down in the pros. He could have came back for another year here. He also went somewhere else and played, but I don't think he really wanted to go anywhere else and play. You know what I mean? And I got a lot of respect for that. There are other guys that took their one year and chased some NIL or whatever, and Giardi do that. And I just think there, there's something to be said for the legacy, right? Be able to come back in 20 years and 15 years even in five years and people look at you a certain way and let's face it, no matter where you go, whether it's Ole Miss Tennessee, Alabama, Washington or North Arizona, I mean being an alum of a school, there's a certain level of impact that outsiders can have once you get into the business world. Just being able to network. Josiah-Jordan James: Definitely. And like I said, Tennessee, there's so many connections that I've made and relationships that I've made since being here. I feel like whatever I'll need down the road that the University of Tennessee has put me in a place where I know who to call. I have somebody to call no matter what I'll need. Austin Price: We go back to when players are in slumps. Do you ever know, I know you go into every game wanting to play your best, but do you ever know, okay, tonight is an off night for this person. I've got to be a little more offensive minded or I have to be a little more rebounding minded depending on foul trouble, depending on who's not making shots, that type of thing. How much do you have to kind of balance that on a nightly Josiah-Jordan James: Basis? Yeah, I mean I feel like you get a good feel by the time halftime comes around the first 20 minutes you see how the other team's playing. You see how you guys are playing as individuals and sometimes you have to pick up the slack for other people and it might be me that people have to pick up the slack for, but that's just the biggest thing with us just trying to be consistent on a daily basis, which is really hard. It's hard to play your best basketball every time you step out on the court, but we train and we work so hard in practice to do that and I think that's why we become such a really good program that we have Austin Price: Favorite spot on the floor to shoot from. Josiah-Jordan James: Favorite spot on the floor to shoot from is any spot that Zika Zieger passing me the ball because he loves, I'm going to get him as a assist. He wants those double doubles. He's so good at drawing and penetrating the defense and drawing two or three defenders at times and I know I'm going to get open and I just got to be able to knock it down. I'm going to shoot it every time I pass. How Austin Price: About you're going to say the elbow, I feel like you work the elbows really well. I Josiah-Jordan James: Do. I love when teams go zone against us because I can get into the cracks and crevices in the middle. The mid range game is Austin Price: A lost art form. It Josiah-Jordan James: Is. But coach, we practice that a lot and vitamins, which are just daily workouts that we do with coaches and managers. I get my shots up for sure, but the mid-range, I definitely hold my hard hat there. Austin Price: Favorite spot to shoot three is from Josiah-Jordan James: Either one of the corners, like I said, because it's always Zaka or DK or as Santi coming downhill and driving kick is, you can't beat that. Austin Price: So you like the corners, not the wings. Josiah-Jordan James: Not the wings. And Zaka is actually the exact opposite. He hates the corners. He would prefer to shoot from half court if he could than the corner. Austin Price: Yeah. So who's the one guy on this team that you feel like he's not played his best basketball in this year? I don't mean in for his career this year that you're like, we'll be the guy that could potentially take you all over the top. Not named Josiah, Jordan James, Josiah-Jordan James: I believe it could be Tobe Waka, Austin Price: Fozzie, bear, baby Josiah-Jordan James: Tobe. He is special. He's a star in his role and he's learning. He's growing. He's only a sophomore and he's just somebody who wants to be great. He's so coachable and he wants to be great so badly that I know he will. And I know when the going is tough, you get to obey in the game, you're going to get toughness, you're going to get rebounding and you win a lot of games with those two attributes. And he hangs his hat on those two things right there. And he hasn't played his best. He knows that, but he's definitely coming to his own and I'm really happy with where he is at and I know he's going to be a force to reckon with as SEC place continues. Austin Price: And he just seems like a Rick Barnes type player, a Josiah-Jordan James: Hundred percent. Like I said, he's so coachable and you know how Coach Barnes can coach, which we all knew we were getting ourselves into when we committed here, but Coach Barnes is on him as much as anybody in Tobe. He takes it, he listens to what is being said and not how it's being said, and he learns from it. And he is growing daily and I can see it and I know for a fact that we're going to win a lot of basketball games because of him. Austin Price: Give me one younger player who's not playing right now that's not named Freddie De Leon because it's easy. Josiah-Jordan James: I can't say all of Austin Price: Them. Nope. I need you to give me one that you think is when you're gone, when your career's over and wherever you're playing next year, the NBA, wherever you look up, you're going to be like, I knew that guy was going to be good. Josiah-Jordan James: Cam Carr, and I actually cam, I hate to throw him under the bus, but he was having a tough practice. The last practice and coach was, we call it cooking and cooking in his kitchen. Coach was he was doing his deal and Cam wasn't having a great practice. I went over to him, I was like, cam, you have the brightest future out of everybody here. Do not let missed shots or bad turnovers or anything deter you from being you because you are an outstanding score. You have so much length, you can be a great defender. And I literally told him he has the most potential out of all of us and not to get sidetracked with one bad day, one bad practice, and that he just has to keep his head high and get to work. And I know that he loves working, working out, and he wants to be the best version of himself that he can be. And so that's why I say him. Austin Price: How hard is that though? I mean, when things are down, it's easy just to stay down Josiah-Jordan James: For sure. It's very tough, but that's why I give a lot of credit to the 15 guys that we have on the team because we're always concerned about the next individual. Somebody's having a bad day. We got five, six guys going over to pick 'em up, letting 'em know that we got your back. Don't worry about it. We hear Coach, we know you're not playing your best basketball right now, but we got your back. We know what you can bring to the table. We need to see it on a daily basis. And that's what I love so much about this group and really all the groups that we've had, we've just had such close comradery that there's nothing that could really separate us. Austin Price: Best part of Knoxville that you just kind of stumbled upon, right? You've been here so long that you had to have stumbled upon to do something where you're like, man, I didn't know this was here. And I think this is really cool. I Josiah-Jordan James: Love real hot yoga over about five minutes that way. Yeah, mc, our director of basketball operations, got me hooked on it. Mary Carter, Mary Carter, she's the goat. She's the biggest star in her role. There would be no Tennessee basketball without her. But real hot yoga is such a great community and like I said, I've done yoga before, but the hot yoga takes it to a whole nother level. And I've met great people, great teachers and mentors, and it's just a place for me to go and get a nice sweat, a really good sweat. You're going to sweat a lot, but just to relax and take my mind off of things, Austin Price: When you're playing careers done here, how would you like to be to describe if you had a, I don't want to say a headstone, you're not dying, but at the same time, if you had a plaque on campus that describe you, your career, what do you want people to say about Josiah-Jordan James: You? Obviously I would like for people to say I was a pretty decent basketball player, but more than anything, I just want people to say that he cared about others more than he cared about himself. He was as selfless as they come. And I think that if that's said about me, then I'll be, I'll sleep great at night and I'll be a happy camper. Austin Price: Best part of campus is what Josiah-Jordan James: Game days, football game days. I love basketball game days. I'm very biased when it comes to that, but nothing beats a hundred however many thousand people in Neland Stadium because our fans are the best. Our football team is outstanding. I love what they have going on over there. They got great individuals, but nothing beats a game day on Saturday. Austin Price: What will you miss most? Josiah-Jordan James: Game day on Saturday? How Austin Price: About game day on Saturday? Josiah-Jordan James: Oh, okay. I'll miss the tailgating. I'll miss the fans that I get to see people coming up and interacting with us, whether it be little kids or grandparents and everybody in between. Just the ability to interact with them has been second to none because we work so hard and they appreciate the hard work. We're a really tough, hard playing team and they realize that and they love us for it. They love us when we're losing. They love us when we're winning. And Val Nation is second and none because of it. Austin Price: See a guy like Jacob Warren, he came back kind of like you. I remember him saying, I'm not an emotional guy. And then he comes up to me on senior day, out on the field and he's just bawling. And I said, I think you're an emotional guy. And he goes, I wasn't, it just hit me. Do you think it'll hit you? I mean last year there was still, even when you went through senior day, you knew there a chance you might come back. There's no chance you're getting kicked out regardless. In a couple months. I'm Josiah-Jordan James: Evicted that senior day. I didn't cry last year. Roche was the only guy who cried and we gave him crap about it. We still do to this day, but I don't know, I could see myself getting very emotional just knowing that this really is the last time I'll be playing in TBA. And that's why I think throughout this entire year that I've just tried to be present and be all in with my relationships and just becoming the best version of myself on the basketball court and off the court and just trying to soak it all in because I know that there's no coming back next year. Have you Austin Price: Ever went overseas with Santi when he goes, I haven't. Josiah-Jordan James: We did go to Italy though as a team. Sure. Austin Price: Yes. But I didn't know if it was just the two of you. Josiah-Jordan James: I haven't haven't been invited yet. I think those trips are just for him and Maria Austin Price: Santi, Josiah-Jordan James: He's special. We'll just say that. Austin Price: What's he taught you? Josiah-Jordan James: Oh man. Santi is by far the greatest basketball mind I've ever been around. I've never even coach says it on a daily basis like that really smart idea. Santi. Yeah, we should implement that. But yeah, he's taught me so much on the court, just the way he sees the game both offensively and defensively. But Santi is somebody who he's shown me that I'm more than just a basketball player because Santi sees himself, sees himself as more than just a basketball player. He's somebody who loves golf. He's a great boyfriend, soon to be great husband, no pressure Santi. But he is somebody who is just very, very present in his relationships with people. And that's why I feel like people are drawn to Santi and that's why I love Santi. But he's just been like a great brother to me. I can't wait to have him in my wedding. Whenever that date comes. Austin Price: You engaged. I'm Josiah-Jordan James: Not. Okay. Nowhere near it. Austin Price: What about extracurriculars? What do you got? I mean, he's got golf. What do you have Josiah-Jordan James: Reading? I've started to read now. I was actually reading a book called The Silent Patient before I decided to come over here and talk to you. But yeah, I'm a big Colleen Hoover fan. She writes a lot of romance novels. She's probably written about 15 to 20 books I want to say I've read about nine or 10 of them, but I'm trying to expand my horizon. I just finished another book, a series in a court of Thorns and roses. It was the second book. It was a court of Miston Fury. And so I'm trying to expand my horizon, but reading has been something that is new to me but that I've started to like and enjoy Austin Price: Go-to Soft drink Josiah-Jordan James: Ginger Ale, specifically Werners. Austin Price: Why? Josiah-Jordan James: My dad's always loved him and ginger rails. It is just good for the soul. It calms your tummy down when you got a little tummy ache. And I just feel like it's soothing. Austin Price: He said tummy, Josiah-Jordan James: I'm still young. Austin Price: This is true. But you're Josiah-Jordan James: Not. I'm I'm really not. Austin Price: When you turn 24 Josiah-Jordan James: September 5th. Austin Price: Okay, so you're not that man. I'm mean think about Peeley is 26. Josiah-Jordan James: I did not know that. That was news to me. Austin Price: And he's married, but he's been married for a few years now. Josiah-Jordan James: That's big time. It's 26 is I don't want to know how my body's going to feel at 26. And he plays football. Austin Price: Geez. We should get Peeley to start marriage counseling for Santi. Josiah-Jordan James: He's going to need it soon. No pressure. Santi. Austin Price: Has he proposed? Josiah-Jordan James: He hasn't. He hasn't. And I don't know when that day will come, but I think it'll be soon. No pressure. Austin Price: I think you knows something. Maria, watch out. Josiah-Jordan James: They're a great couple though. They're perfect for Austin Price: You. Is she from here? Josiah-Jordan James: I want to say she's from Ohio. Ohio. I think he went up there for Christmas with her family. Austin Price: Gotcha. So what we learned before we started taping was you don't like the cold, you don't like snow. No. Josiah-Jordan James: At Austin Price: All. What's up with that? Josiah-Jordan James: I mean, what good comes with being cold? Nothing. And the snow is overrated. It's cool to build a snowman and have a snowball fight. It's Austin Price: Cool for a few days, right? Josiah-Jordan James: Few minutes. Like 30 minutes tops. It tops. Austin Price: Do you wish you had black uniforms? Josiah-Jordan James: I 100% do. We've talked to Mc about it and I don't know. She comes up, like I said, my Austin Price: Daughter brought this up the other day. She was like, daddy, how the women have the blue uniforms, they have it Josiah-Jordan James: All Austin Price: The men need black uniforms. Josiah-Jordan James: We do. And I feel like we would go undefeated with those. And my thing is, as soon as I leave, I feel like next year Austin Price: That's black Josiah-Jordan James: Uniforms going to happen and it's inevitable at this point and I'll just have to live with it. But I would've loved to have black uniforms. Austin Price: What you should do is when they give you a framed jersey, since you already got one from last year, you should ask for a black one. Let's go ahead and unveil it this year and you get one. Josiah-Jordan James: I might have to do that. Austin Price: You need to propose this. Josiah-Jordan James: Yeah. Mc will listen to this. So when you're listening to this, I'll take the black jersey with all the rest of my jerseys. Austin Price: Mary Carter, when she used to work in sorts information, she would give out the credentials and then at the end of practice I just got tired of keeping up with mine in between practice. So I would just give it back to her. And so she would always just give it back to me. Mary Carter is the Josiah-Jordan James: Best. She is by far. She is the goat, the greatest of all time. There's only one mc. Austin Price: What's the one place in Knoxville you'll miss the most? Josiah-Jordan James: Can I say TBA? Austin Price: No, no. I mean food places, places off campus. Josiah-Jordan James: We talked about it last time. Little Tokyo, the hibachi spot down. Austin Price: Chapman. Chapman Josiah-Jordan James: Highway. Oh my goodness. They know my order through and through. I love the people over there. They love me, but I will Austin Price: Definitely. You didn't get an NIL deal off the last time? Josiah-Jordan James: I didn't. Sadly I didn't. But Austin Price: Come on. Josiah-Jordan James: I don't need it. It's okay. I am just a happy customer every time I go there. So they take care of me. I mean, I enjoy my food, but Little Tokyo is one spot that I wish I could take with me everywhere. Austin Price: Favorite non-basketball? Tennessee athlete on the male side, then we'll do the female. Okay. Josiah-Jordan James: Okay. We talked about him earlier. I would have to say Jabari Small. We got to know each other through ball leaders and then a trip that we took over to Where'd we go? Rwanda in Africa. So we got really close and we knew each other through Kennedy and I had met him a couple of times, but it wasn't until we got to Africa. Me, him and Big O really got really close on that trip and they text me constantly before and after games and when their season was going on, I would always text them and keep up to date with them. Austin Price: Yeah, both those kids, man, really good kids. Josiah-Jordan James: Solid. Very, very Austin Price: Solid temporal, good families for sure. Just like yourself. So I Josiah-Jordan James: Appreciate that. Austin Price: Your mom, she runs the shell buddy. Josiah-Jordan James: My mom. I think my mom will be messed more than I, Austin Price: She's going to cry. Josiah-Jordan James: I think Austin Price: She cried Josiah-Jordan James: Last year. No, I don't know. She's kind of emotional, Austin Price: But it's over this year though. Josiah-Jordan James: Yeah, she'll definitely cry this year. But the people who work the game, I think I get my selflessness from her because she just loves taking care of people. She'll bring the security people drinks and food before and after games and she does a great job of taking care of them. But they always ask me when I'm going there for a women's game or I'm going to a football game, how's your mom doing? They won't even say hello to me. They're like, can you tell your mom? We said hello? And so I think that she will be missed more than I will. Austin Price: Yeah, that's like my dad never met a stranger. Literally the impact leaves an impact where he goes, favorite lady? Val. I'm going to say non lady Val basketball too. This has got to be an alternate sport. Or if you want to give two, you can give one Lady Val basketball and then one alternate sport. Josiah-Jordan James: I love Tess Darby. Okay, Tess is the best. I need some shooting pointers from her right about now. But non lady ball basketball would have to be Morgan Fle. I also got to know her through Ball Leaders as well. But she is, Austin Price: Which is a good little program for you all to get to know people in other sports Josiah-Jordan James: Too. A hundred percent. You get to know student athletes from every sport that we have here on Campusing. You get to learn about leadership. You learn so much about yourself and others and you just create a bond through that and then you get to take a nice little trip at the end and do service work. Like I said, we got to go to Africa. I'm pretty sure this year's cohort is going back to Africa, but a different part. But yeah, all leaders, it changed my life for the better for sure. But Morgan Fle is the true definition of a lady VFL and I'm so happy for her and the season they were able to have. But she is also one of a kind Austin Price: One thing most people don't know about you. Josiah-Jordan James: One thing that people don't know about me, I feel like I'm very simple. My life is very boring and I like it that way. I feel like as a student athlete we kind of get a rap of, I don't know, I, I like things being boring. I play basketball, play video games, do yoga, read, and that's about it. I don't have any cats anymore. They're back in Charleston. So I spend my free time just reading and playing video games. Austin Price: Which ones? Josiah-Jordan James: Right now? Jamiah, Jonas, Freddy and Jordan Gainey and I are playing Call of Duty, modern Warfare three, not Warzone, just the multiplayer. And so we spend a little too much time playing that, but it's been great for us. Austin Price: So that's why you lost Mississippi State a week or two ago? 100%. Way to go. We Josiah-Jordan James: Can blame it on the Call of Duty servers won't happen again though. Austin Price: I'm playing. So what's the one game you got coming up on the schedule and don't give me the coach answer of the next game. Josiah-Jordan James: I actually wasn't going to say that, but Austin Price: Whether it's Homer Road that you like, I can't wait for that game. Not that it's like you're saying you're going to beat the team or whatever, that you just can't wait to play against that team in that environment. Josiah-Jordan James: The last game of the season at home, senior night against Kentucky, Austin Price: Be wild in Josiah-Jordan James: There. Cannot wait. It was already going to be sold out regardless of if it was senior night or not. But I mean now we can't lose it is the last time we're going to get to play in TBA and so we got to go out with a bang. And what other way to end it than with the Wildcats coming to town? Austin Price: How much fun is that game both up there and down there? Josiah-Jordan James: It's always a blast. And I would say obviously winning the SEC tournament, my junior year has been the best game so far. But there was a game we played and it was my freshman year. Santi was the only one who's still on the team now. But we were down Austin Price: By like, you don't say Josiah-Jordan James: This, when Folky had hair, he had the folky flow going, but we were down by 17 with maybe six or seven minutes left. They were a top five team in the country headed the SEC. And we came back and we beat them. They had Tyrese Maxey who plays for the Philadelphia 76 ERs, Emmanuel Ley, who's also in the NBA, Nick Richards. They had a squad and they were obviously the better team, but we came back, we spoiled their night. And I have dreams about that game to this day. That was like I said, the SEC championship obviously number one, but that's one A or one B. Austin Price: Well man, we appreciate you coming in and just a neat treat as your time winds down here. And I know you are going to soak up the last couple of months of this for sure and enjoy all those road games, hostile road environments, enjoy those home games and then tournament time come March. Yes Josiah-Jordan James: Sir. I appreciate you. I'm going to miss you too, but while I'm still here, I'm still going to enjoy you. Austin Price: He is Josiah Jordan James. He is a special, special basketball player for Tennessee. We'll be back next week with another episode of Ball Club Confidential.