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Tennessee basketball makes another cut for five-star 2022 F Julian Phillips

ByCaleb Calhoun|
Dec 12, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; General view during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; General view during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Just as preseason is underway, Tennessee basketball has begun to heat up once again on the recruiting trail. On Monday, the Vols made the cut for elite Florida wing Dillon Mitchell, who has a five-star rating on ESPN and 247Sports Composite.

Three days later, UT has made the cut for another five-star wing. Julian Phillips, who currently is in Missouri but is initially from South Carolina, announced that Rocky Top is in his top four. Phillips is a five-star across all services.

This comes nearly two months after Phillips announced his top 10 back in early August, which also included Tennessee basketball. The Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers and USC Trojans were the other four schools on his list, which he announced Wednesday on Twitter.

A native of Blythewood, S.C., Phillips currently plays at Link Year Prep School in Branson, Mo. and is a top 20 player nationally across every service. Given where he’s from and where he plays right now, Rick Barnes could be in good shape, as the Vols are in the closest proximity to both states.

Standing between 6’7″ and 6’8″ while weighing in the range of 175 to 210 pounds, Phillips is listed as a small forward on Rivals and 247Sports. However, he is listed as a power forward on ESPN, so his versatility could allow Barnes to try lots of different things with his lineup.

If Mitchell and Phillips both chose Rocky Top, Barnes would be able to fill whatever void he may have, as both guys could play the two, the three or the four. The commitments of four-star B.J. Edwards and three-star Zakai Zeigler in that class locks up the point guard spot locked up for the future, and four-star newcomer Jonas Aidoo on this year’s team locks up the center spot.

Currently, there are no predictions to land Phillips on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. USC and FSU are tied for the favorites on the Rivals Future Cast, and FSU is the favorite by a plurality on the Rivals Fan Future Cast, so it’s hard to tell where he’ll end up. Tennessee basketball has as great a chance as anybody, so watch out for what he does in the near future.

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