How Tennessee's Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua performed at G League Elite Camp
Tennessee seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua were back on the floor this weekend, competing in the NBA’s G League Elite Camp at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Both James and Nkamhoua went through official measurements and workouts, as well as a pair of five-on-five games on Saturday and Sunday.
James officially measured in at 6’6 1/4” barefoot with a 6’11 1/4” wingspan and an 8’8” standing reach. He weighed 212.8 pounds with 5.6 percent body fat. Oliver Nkamhoua measured at 6’8 1/4” barefoot with a 7’0 1/4” wingspan and an 8’10 1/2” standing reach. His hands were 10 1/2 inches wide and he weighed in at 229 pounds at 5.7 percent body fat.
ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony, of Draft Express, reported Sunday that James shot well in individual workouts after he “got really hot in the star shooting drill … showing his off-(ball) movement shooting potential.”
NBA Draft: June 22, Barclays Center, Brooklyn
Nkamhoua started for Team Three on Sunday and played 20 minutes, 33 seconds. He scored 12 points on 3-for-6 shooting from the floor and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. He added two rebounds, two assists and a pair of turnovers.
James came off the bench for Team Two in the game against Nkamhoua and Team Three Sunday, playing 18 minutes, 26 seconds. He finished with seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, including 1-for-3 from the 3-point line and 3-for-4 at the foul line. He added six rebounds and a steal but had five turnovers.
In Game 2 on Saturday, Nkamhoua played 14:39 off the bench with five points on 2-for-5 shooting, including 1-for-2 from the 3-point line. He had two rebounds, two steals, a turnover and three fouls. In Saturday’s first game, James played 17:03 off the bench. He had six points on 2-for-4 shooting, going 2-for-3 from the 3-point line. He had three rebounds, a steal and a pair of turnovers.
James, Nkamhoua, Uros Plavsic and freshman wing Julian Phillips were all on the NBA’s early entry list. Phillips, who entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal last week, received an invitation to this week’s NBA Draft Combine while James and Nkamhoua were invited to this weekend’s G League Elite Camp.
Nkamhoua entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 30.
“Olivier has told us day one that his No. 1 objective is to be a pro basketball player,” Barnes told reporters at the during the Big Orange Caravan. “He has told us that is his pursuit.”
“He told us that his dad wanted him to put his name in the portal, which is a decision they have to make,” Barnes added. “From day one, our conversation with him has been that his ultimate goal was to try and put himself in a position to be a professional athlete next year.”
Vols completed 2023-24 roster with three players from NCAA Transfer Portal
Tennessee’s 2023-24 roster currently is full at 13 scholarship players with the additions of guard Jordan Gainey (USC Upstate), forward Chris Ledlum (Harvard) and wing Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado) out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. The Vols signed three prospects in November: Four-star center JP Estrella, four-star wing Cameron Carr and three-star power forward Cade Phillips.
Four seniors — James, Nkamhoua, Plavsic and Tyreke Key — departed the roster alongside Phillips and freshman BJ Edwards, another piece of portal attrition. Senior guard Santiago Vescovi is retuning for a fifth year with the Vols.
“You know, those guys are all still pursuing their dream of being a professional basketball player,” Barnes said last month when asked about his players going through the NBA Draft process. “And all I can say is that I believe it will all work out.
“When it’s all said and done, how it’s going to work out I don’t know, because they (in the draft) have a month really to decide what they want to do. But we’ve had to go and certainly we have to build a roster. I do think it all works out over time.”
