Former Tennessee basketball wing Josiah-Jordan James has signed an overseas deal with Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the team announced on Instagram.
raJames played his first professional season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers G League team, where he averaged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 24.5 minutes per game. The 6-foot-6 wing played with the Pacers in the summer league before signing professionally with Hapoel Jerusalem.
The Israeli Basketball Premier League, also known as the Ligat Winner League, is one of the best overseas leagues and is where new Tennessee combo guard Ethan Burg played last season. Burg averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game for Bnei Herzeliya.
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The 2024-25 season was cancelled midway through due to the ongoing Iran-Israeli war but Hapoel Jerusalem had a 26-20 record and was in third place when the season ended. Other top players on Hapoel Jersusalem include former Auburn guard Jared Harper, former Michigan State guard Cassius Winston and former Vermont forward Anthony Lamb.
Hapoel Jerusalem has won two total championships in the 70-year history of the league. It’s been a very one sided league with Maccabi Tel Aviv winning 57 of the 70 championships.
James was the first five-star recruit of Rick Barnes’ tenure at Tennessee and the wing started five years in Knoxville, seeing the Vols make it to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and win SEC Regular-Season and Tournament Championships.
The Charleston native averaged 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while playing 28.2 minutes in 144 total games during his collegiate career.
