Tennessee basketball's Julian Phillips enters transfer portal | Reports
Tennessee basketball player Julian Phillips will enter the transfer portal while going through the NBA Draft process., according to multiple reports.
Phillips appears to be leaving his options open, but it doesn't look like the Vols are one of them. Tennessee has no open scholarship as its roster stands.
In April, Phillips entered his name into the draft process, and he received an invitation to the NBA Combine. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is June 12. But to maintain NCAA eligibility, college players must make their decision by May 31. Phillips did not enter the portal by the May 1 deadline that the SEC imposed for winter sport athletes to be granted guaranteed immediate eligibility at another SEC school.
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Phillips, a 6-foot-8 forward and former 5-star recruit, was one of the SEC's most talented freshmen. But he only briefly flashed his potential at Tennessee.
Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 32 games last season.
He had a pair of standout games, scoring 25 points with eight rebounds against USC in the Battle 4 Atlantis in November and posting an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double at Mississippi State in January.
Phillips was one of Tennessee's better rebounders, but struggled to find consistency offensively. He shot less than 30% on 3-pointers.
Phillips was the sixth 5-star recruit to sign with Vols under coach Rick Barnes. Kennedy Chandler and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield were 5-star recruits in the 2021 class.
Josiah-Jordan James was the first 5-star prospect for Barnes in Knoxville when he signed in the 2019 class. Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer signed in the 2020 class. Phillips was the No. 15 recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He signed with LSU in November 2021 but was released from his letter of intent after coach Will Wade was fired in March 2022.
Tennessee added three transfers in USC Upstate guard Jordan Gainey, Harvard forward Chris Ledlum and Northern Colorado guard Dalton Knecht. Guard Santiago Vescovi opted to return for a fifth year.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball: Julian Phillips in transfer portal | Reports
