All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee basketball: Projecting Vols’ 2022-23 starting lineup

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 11, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes speaks with guard Josiah-Jordan James (30) during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Link Academy’s Julian Phillips (5) reacts during the GEICO Nationals semifinal between Prolific Prep (Calif.) and Link Academy (Mo.), Friday, April 1, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Link Academy defeated Prolific Prep 59-53.GEICO Nationals 2022: Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. Link Academy (Mo.) semifinal, April 1, 2022
Link Academy’s Julian Phillips (5) reacts during the GEICO Nationals semifinal between Prolific Prep (Calif.) and Link Academy (Mo.), Friday, April 1, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Link Academy defeated Prolific Prep 59-53.GEICO Nationals 2022: Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. Link Academy (Mo.) semifinal, April 1, 2022 /

Power forward – Julian Phillips

Don’t worry, despite Josiah-Jordan James moving back to three, Rick Barnes will still play a bit small and stick to what made Tennessee basketball successful last year. That’s because he’s got a five-star in Julian Phillips to come in, potentially his new Kevin Durant. Like James, Phillips is a five-stat out of South Carolina, and both will play forward.

Standing at 6’8″ 190 pounds, Phillips probably needs to gain weight to play on the inside. However, he already has elite talent, and it’s too much to pass up. As a result, Barnes will put him in the game immediately, and he’ll likely be the Vols’ top impact player in the post.

Phillips may not be as highly rated as Durant was, but having him in the lineup is a huge boost. The question is if Barnes can mesh his freshman phenom with experienced talent, as that’s been an issue with teams he has managed in the past. Still, he has to start Phillips.

Backup: Olivier Nkamhoua

Coming off a season-ending injury, Olivier Nkamhoua will move to the bench due to Julian Phillips. However, he’ll still be a key rotational player. In fact, whenever James or Phillips needs a rest, he’ll likely be the one to come in at the four while the player among the other two who can still go is at the three.

Nkamhoua did average over eight and a half points and five and a half rebounds before getting hurt last year, and at 6’8′ 232 pounds, he can play the stretch-for on his own. Tobe Awaka is a newcomer at 6’8″ 242 pounds who can provide depth too, but Nkamhoua is the backup here, and he’ll be the sixth-man for UT.

Home/Vols Basketball