BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Josiah-Jordan James hasn't forgotten how Tennessee's 2021-22 season ended.

The Vols were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first weekend for the second straight time following a 76-68 loss to Michigan at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianaoplis.

Instead of putting it out of mind as his senior season closes in, James has used the loss as motivation for a deeper postseason run in his last go-around with Tennessee.

"We definitely didn't move on," James said at SEC Tipoff on Wednesday in Birmingham. "There's definitely a lot of unfinished business. We haven't made it out of the first weekend in March, so that's something that we definitely have to accomplish this year. We want to be the last team standing.

"We know last season didn't end the way that we wanted it to, so we have to rewrite the script.”

If Tennessee is to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019 and potentially further, it's going to need James to match the consistency that he showed late last season.

James, the team's second-leading returning scorer, averaged 13.7 points in Tennessee's last 16 games, which included an SEC Tournament championship run. He averaged more than six rebounds, three assists and 1.3 blocks in the tournament, which earned him an SEC All-Tournament team selection.

After testing the NBA Draft waters in the offseason, James is using that experience to be even better this season.

"I got a lot of feedback about what (the NBA) wants to see out of me," James said. "They want me to become one of the best defenders, not only in in this league, but in the nation. And just me being more confident in my ability to score the ball. I think that's something showed in the second half of (last) year. My teammates, I've got to give them a lot of credit. They stuck with me.

"Lord knows I wasn't playing where I wanted to at the beginning of the year. They gave me the confidence that I needed."

For Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes, James' leadership will count for just as much in the Vols' aspirations.

James signed with the program in 2019 and is the team's most experienced returner, having played in 84 games. Tennessee finished 17-14 in his freshman season after losing Admiral Schofield, Kyle Alexander and Grant Williams the previous year.

The leadership he displayed down the stretch last season was key in helping the Vols to their first SEC Tournament crown in 43 years.

"We talked a year ago about needing more leadership," Barnes said. "We really felt at the end of the year — or really in the middle of the year — that (James and guard Santiago Vescovi) started doing that.

“The fact is, those guys have meant a lot to our program. Josiah came in at a time when we really had a tough time. We were in a transition period there. He has seen us grow probably as much as anybody.”

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