Florida Gators basketball coach Mike White looks on as the Gators play in the NCAA tournament- 1280x853
Florida Gators basketball coach Mike White looks on as the Gators play in the NCAA tournament- GatorCountry photo taken by David Bowie

Every evaluation period presents the opportunity for recruits to have their breakout moments and to make noise on the recruiting front. 2019 6’6 guard Josiah James(Porter Gaud, SC) took advantage of that opportunity at the UAA Finals this past weekend. GatorCountry.com caught up with James to talk about his game and his recent offer from Florida.

James is a big guard who has elite court vision and a steady mid-range game. He is a pass first guard, but is more than capable to change the dynamic of a game with his ability to efficiently score the ball.

“I love playing fast and getting the ball up the court,” James said. “I’m a pass first point guard. I love finding an open teammate and getting an assist, but I know when I need to take over and score. I think my strengths on the offensive side of the ball are in my ball handling, passing, and mid-range game. I definitely need to be more consistent from behind the arc. On the other side of the ball I have pretty good 1-1 defense, but need to get quicker to be able to stay in front of smaller guards at the collegiate level.”

James participated in the UAA Finals with Team TMP. This was the 2nd time he has played in the UAA Finals so he has had playing experience against many of the athletes there.

“The UAA finals were a great experience,” he said. “It was my second time being there. I loved seeing familiar faces and the top talent on the circuit. I feel like I played well but definitely see things that I need to work on.”

James received an offer from Florida on Sunday and it meant a great deal to him. The Gators campus was always a stop on his family vacations growing up.

“Receiving an offer from Florida was kind of like a dream come true for me,” James said. “Growing up my family and I would take trips to Universal and always take time

to go see the campus. They have one of the best athletic departments in the country and are constantly a top team in the country. I love the mentality they play with. Just watching this past year I can see that every player has bought into Coach White’s system and the players have each other’s back.”

Offers have started to pile in after his impressive weekend in Georgia during the first evaluation period. James has no favorites at this point in his recruitment and is looking to take his time. A school with strong academics and a great relationship with the coaching staff are some main factors that James is looking for.