Tennessee basketball’s Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi met with the local media on Friday afternoon before their Senior Day matchup against Kentucky.
Bot James and Vescovi went through Senior Day festivities a season ago before deciding to return for their super senior seasons. As Rick Barnes said on Friday, if anyone deserves two senior days it’s that duo.
On Friday, James and Vescovi discussed winning the SEC Regular Season Championship, memories of their five-years in Knoxville and more. Here’s everything the duo said.
Josiah-Jordan James
On Tennessee winning an SEC regular-season championship in his home state of South Carolina on Wednesday night
“Yeah, it was really sweet. We set out a goal, a couple of goals, and that was the first one. So being able to check that off the list, and especially being able to do it in front of 30, 40 of my friends and family was very sweet. And then getting to hang out with them afterwards. But I’m just so proud of this team and I know that we have a lot more to accomplish.”
On what he feels like he’s gotten out of the Tennessee program after five years with the Vols
“I’ve gotten lifelong relationships. I’ve gotten humbled through this program. And I wouldn’t be the man that I am today without being here and going through the experiences that I’ve had. I’m so grateful and indebted to Coach Barnes and his entire staff just for sticking with me through the ups and downs. And I’m indebted to my teammates as well because they’re the best groups of groups of people that I’ve ever been around. And I can never repay them for all that they’ve given me. But I try to come in with a great attitude and be the best version of myself every day for them.”
On what he learned in the first game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena in February
“They’re a really talented team. We pride ourselves on our defense and luckily we were able to hit shots. We scored 100-some points, but they had 90 something. So we know we’re going have to be better on that end of the floor. They’re really dynamic on the offensive end. At all times they’ve got five people who can really score the ball at a high level. So our defense is going to have to be a lot more locked in than it was up there. We’re going to have to take pride in that.”
On if it’s challenging for this Tennessee team to turn the page from celebrating the SEC regular-season championship
“It’s definitely not because it’s Kentucky. That rivalry, they don’t like us, we don’t like them. So I’m glad that it’s them coming off of an SEC regular-season championship because I know everybody will be locked in. And I know we’ll be ready to go.”
On how big of a role former Tennessee assistant coach Mike Schwartz played in getting Josiah-Jordan James here
“I wouldn’t be here without him. He did a great job of creating a relationship with me from a very early age. I remember I actually had to call him because at the time I was in seventh or eighth grade and coaches couldn’t reach out to you before high school, I think. And so I started that relationship with him through a recruiter. And ever since that first phone call, he did a great job of staying in touch with me. He did a really good job of creating a relationship with my family and I credit him for getting me up here on that visit. And then once I got here on the visit, that was just the icing on the cake. But Mike Schwartz, I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.”
On Josiah-Jordan James embracing position changes and being versatility throughout his career
“Just because I want to win. I’m willing to do whatever it is on the floor to impact winning and if it’s taking less shots, taking more shots, being better defensively, I think think that roles change from game to game, but especially season to season as teams change. But Santi and I, we pride ourselves on being winners and doing whatever it takes to come out with a ‘W’ at the end of the day. And so that’s why I’m so willing to accept whatever role coach wants to give me, whether it’s guarding the best post player, best perimeter player, taking more shots, taking less shots. As long as, whatever the game plan is, to help us get a ‘W’, that’s what I’m willing to do.”
On what it means to be a cornerstone of the Tennessee program, as Rick Barnes described him and Santiago Vescovi
“Man, it is taken a lot to get to this point. I wouldn’t be here without Santi because he, Coach Barnes is the most consistent person, and right under him is Santi. Because you know what you’re going get out of him every single day. He’s such a great person. He’s a hard worker and he is a great leader. And somebody that’s uplifting me through tough times. And like I said, I wouldn’t be here without him. But Coach Barnes saying that about us, it is really gratifying just because Santi and I have been through so much. Five years is a long time. There’s a lot of ups and downs and highs and lows, but I just credit him and I for always having each other’s back and always coming in the next day and trying to get the best out of each other and the best out of this group. And that’s why I think that we are where we are right now. Not just because of him and I, but the standard that Grant Williams and the guys before us set. Because they were a really good basketball team before we got here. They’re going to be a really good basketball team after Santi and I leave, but the culture here is second to none.”
On what impression Dalton Knecht has made on him
“Man, DK is, that’s my guy. I feel like he’s been here just as long as everybody else has. He’s embraced everybody with open arms. I feel like if a lot of people are in DK’s position, they’d be more selfish. But being around him off the court, he’s such a selfless person. He makes the locker room laugh. He keeps us up uplifted and he’s somebody that I know I have a relationship while I’m here. And wherever our paths may cross again, but wherever he ends up, I know that he’s somebody I can always count on. And I’m thankful that he chose to come to the University of Tennessee.”
On how much he has changed off the floor since he got to Tennessee
“I was a little kid when I first came here. I thought I had everything figured out, but you know, God showed me quickly that I didn’t, and I’m just happy with where I am right now. I’m happy in my own skin. I’m happy with the man that I’ve become, and I wouldn’t be here without the people here. The experiences that I’ve had, the good, the bad, it’s all got me to this place and I’m so thankful and grateful for the University of Tennessee for accepting me with open arms and I’m happy to be a VFL.”
On as of right now, the first moment he’ll talk about 10 years from now when he reflects on his five years at Tennessee
“Man, I don’t know. There’s so many. If you would’ve asked me this question before the South Carolina game, I would’ve said the SEC tournament championship. But now, I mean the regular season championship, I feel like that’s even harder to do. I don’t think I can pick just one memory. I would just say it’s the people, the teammates that I’ve had, the coaches that I’ve had, the people who, you know, outside of the program that y’all don’t even know who are here on a daily basis, like the trainers, the assistant trainers, the student trainers, you know, everybody comes in with a smile on their face and uplifts you. And it’s hard to, you know, (Coach Barnes), y’all are at practice. It’s not the easiest stuff to go through. But you know, at the end of the day, everybody has each other’s backs and everybody wants to see the next person succeed. So I’m so thankful for the people and that’s probably what I’ll remember the most.”
On what he would tell freshman Josiah-Jordan James
“Man, I would tell him, he has no idea what’s coming his way, but just to take everything in stride. Never get too high, never get too low, be thankful for it all and just be where your feet are. Don’t look too far ahead into the future because you know the future, you don’t know what’s in the future. And so just being where your feet are, staying humble, staying grounded and relying on the people around you. You can’t get through everything alone. You need people in your corner and you have the best people around you. So don’t take them for granted.”
More From RTI: Everything Rick Barnes Said Before Kentucky Rematch
Santiago Vescovi
On what it meant to win the SEC Championship
“Oh, it felt great. You know, that’s a real reason we came to Tennessee for not like you know, some stuff in the past. No, but it felt great being all this time here, see it paid off with all the guys. I think we had. so far we’ve been having a hell of a season. I think all the guys have been doing a great job staying together and we’ve still got a lot of greater things ahead of us, so can’t get distracted with that.”
On what he’s gotten out of his five years at Tennessee
“So many, countless things to be honest. From relationships with the guys, bonds that we’ve created that are going to be there forever, I think I’ve grown as a person and as a basketball player, which were the main two things that I wanted to get out of the University of Tennessee. Most importantly, I created a home here. Really Knoxville’s gonna be in my heart forever. Love the city, love the people around, love everything about it. And on top of that, all the people that in their own way, they’ve encountered or helped me to become the person I am right now. I’m really grateful for (it). Really love everything about it.”
On what memories stand out to him
“I got plenty of them, but of course celebrating is always nice. Definitely the SEC Tournament that we won. That day was, personally, the first thing that comes out to my mind and just all the hours that we spent together. All the ground we put with the guys in here that most of the times people don’t see it. I think that’s the main takeaway. All the hours that we put together and all the relationships that are going to carry over over the time of the years.”
On what he learned about Kentucky in the first game
“They’re a really good team. They’re a talented team. The last couple games, I think it was the last four games, they put over a hundred points offensively. They’re really, really good. They got some freshmen that are really explosive and really good. We just got to be us. Do what we do every single day, stick together and just have fun.”
On what Josiah-Jordan James has meant to him on-and-off the court
“Oh the world. He’s been my partner, my best friend, brother, however you want to call it since day one. Like I mentioned before, we also had other guys be that same role like Uros and Olivier. I think that was the main core of guys that we’ve stayed together until this last year. We all stayed together and we’re like a family, the main core and especially with Jo. I think it’s like he’s my brother and I couldn’t have gotten to where I’m at right now if it wasn’t for him. And yeah, we just got to enjoy whatever we have left and I know we’re going be brothers for the rest of our lives, whatever we end up at.”
On his hug with Grant Williams after the South Carolina game
“Oh, it meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to him. Seeing those kind of situations where people come back to watch us play, people that have been in the program, it means a lot to us showing that support and that love and it’s been different people throughout the season in some way. Showing their support and their love. And it’s been different people throughout the season that have in some way shown their support. I love Grant and seeing him after the game was great. We got to share that moment and I know he’s another person even though we didn’t play together, that we’re gonna have a lot of memories and we’re going to share a lot of stuff in the future. Just the person he is and like I was saying, all the guys that in their own way, they either showed up or by contacting us at some point, they’ve showed their support. It just means a lot to us.”
On the hug he had with his dad after the South Carolina game
“That was just a beautiful moment, to be honest. I know how much my family supports me, how much they love me and how much they’re grateful for everything that has happened to me here at Tennessee. All the people that have helped me, but being able to see them be here I think is one of the biggest things. I think it gets overlooked most of the time. Being a long time, last time I saw him was when I went home, it was like five or six months ago. Knowing how tight I am with my family, it’s kind of a hard time to stay away from them. Not being able to see them on a daily basis and just see them be here. It just really fills my heart. And then on top of that, winning that championship at South Carolina and then seeing him after, it just meant a lot to me.”
On Rick Barnes saying he and Josiah were cornerstones of the program
“I don’t know where a cornerstone is, first of all, but I guess it’s a good thing. But no, it really means a lot. I know Jo and I have spent a lot of years here, dedicated a lot of our time of our lives to be a Tennessee Volunteer. I wouldn’t take anything back. I’m really proud of what we’ve done, all the time we’ve been here. I think we’ve helped a lot of people and a lot of people have helped us the same way. But yeah, like we talked about before with Jo, I think the culture that coaches have created here is great. We have no problem with not one of our teammates ever being five years here that talks about how good coaches are recruiting and how much they know about the guys they recruit. They kind of want a certain profile player and it’s been great for us. We’ve had, I think the teams have been tighter and tighter with the years and we know they’re going to carry on same way. Grant, Admiral and all those guys passed us the torch. We’re going to pass it along and I know the guys that are coming and Shack, Zakai, Jonas and other guys that are still going to be here, they’re going to carry on and keep that culture in. I think that’s what makes Tennessee a special place.”
On his competitiveness, if he learned it
“No, that’s definitely (something) I got from my family, if I had to say. Definitely from my dad and then both on my uncles, mom and dad’s side. I know that if they hear this they’re going to be proud. But they always like since I was a kid they wouldn’t let me win anything. Same with my dad. He’s really, really, really competitive and I think just growing up with that, always trying to beat him, trying to beat him. It didn’t take me long. Now I beat him easily in whatever we play at. But now I think that I actually developed like character and then just kind of finding my way in life through basketball, whatever I went to. Just develops that competitiveness that I think it’s a talent to be honest.”
On how vivid his memories are from joining Tennessee in the middle of the 2019-20 season, his first game
“That first game, I could still remember like it was yesterday, to be honest. Coming in and playing against LSU, still remember the first play of the game felt slow motion, of course turned it over. But that was kind of a welcome to reality moment. But yeah, it was big moments really making those first couple threes, seeing the stadium go off and it was an environment that I wasn’t used to playing in and it really meant a lot to me. It felt nice, it felt great and pretty much remember everything that’s happened since.”
On if there’s anything about the offense and defense that they don’t understand, Barnes saying that they could run practice
“I heard an interview that Coach was talking about it and we really feel that way. We’ve been here for five years, so if you look at our playbook for the past five years, there’s more plays that you can count and there’s something that we don’t run anymore. Some that we still do or some that we bring back. And I think that’s what me and Joe come into, sometimes coach will ask us like how do we used to run this play, whatever. And we still remember that from so many years and repetition and just being a part of the program. I think we’ve gotten to that point where we pretty much know all the plays that we run in the past and it’s great. It’s great from the perspective of we can direct from the court to telling guys where they’re supposed to be, what not to, and if we gotta change something, of course Coach is the one that’s gonna come up with something and we’re gonna talk through it and it’s just great to be in that position.”
On if he would ever want to coach
“What a question. I haven’t thought that far yet, but I probably think that at some point in my life I’m probably gonna be wanting to be a coach just from the love of basketball and just the way we see basketball. I think Joe will feel the same way, but I think it’ll be a great, great place to be at in the future, being a coach.”
On his favorite Barnes sayings or memories
“Oh, I got countless. I just, from coach regardless of like saying some stuff, just the main messages that he has given, either if you don’t play defense, you’re not gonna play or just like the main message that he always gives that he wants people to give effort and then give all they have on the court. I think that’s the biggest takeaway for me. Coach is a great motivator. I think he makes the guys play as hard as they can and yeah, if you play as hard as you can, you give your all, you can do right or wrong things, but as long as you play your hardest, you’re always gonna be in a good space.”
On his favorite memories from Tennessee that aren’t basketball related
“I have a couple of ’em, yeah. Throwing first pitch at the baseball game was definitely fun. Football definitely was. I have two games in mind. The one against Ole Miss that was a crazy game. I remember being in the stadium, couldn’t even walk. So many people we had around. And then of course the Alabama game is hard to beat, had the chance to be a part of that one. Ended up on the field as much. As much as I thought I wasn’t gonna rush it, found myself on the field and watching that goal post go by.
“Then I have plenty from other sports. Soccer of course, main one too, just going daily, like Sundays and sit on that mound. My girlfriend played on the soccer team, so really enjoyed watching them along this season. It was really, really fun to watch them play and yeah, I mean many different sports, too. Tennis or whatever sport you wanna bring up. At some point in my time here, definitely watched them and supported them and it’s been a great journey.”
On if there’s any chance the arm bite celebration could come back one last time:
“It depends on the mood, definitely. Yeah, it’s something I’ll be thinking about. I have it in the back of my mind, but yeah, I mean there’s still time to do it so it might come out, it might not, I really don’t know.”
On if he knew what a cracker jack box was before Coach Barnes mentioned it to him:
“No idea. I had to go ask one of the coaches. I was like, yo, he just said a box of Cracker Jacks, I don’t know what that is. Is it good, is it bad? And then they explained it to me what it was, still had no idea what it was.”
On if he coach, if he’s going to send kids to the stairs or the versa climber as punishment
“Depends on where we at. If I end up at Tennessee, yeah, if we’re downstairs in TBA, it’s definitely gonna be the stairs. Up in Pratt is going to be versa climber.”
