Just when Tennessee basketball fans thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. Right now, Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Vols are stuck in neutral with a three-game losing streak. Based on the recent news, things are unfortunately taking a downward spiral.
Tennessee's junior forward Cade Phillips is out for the remainder of the year, as he's getting left shoulder surgery. Ouch. This is such a painful blow for Vols fans. Phillips was averaging 3.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks this year for Tennessee. Phillips is a good defender, efficient scorer, and glue guy, so this is a big loss.
Rick Barnes said, "We will sincerely miss having Cade on the court and he is certainly disappointed he won't be able to play the rest of the season, but it is essential he gets healthy. Cade did all he could to play through this injury as long as he could. We love Cade and we'll do everything we can to support him. We know Cade will continue help us this year, even from the sideline, because that is the type of person and teammate he is."
Junior forward Cade Phillips will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He is set to undergo surgery to repair a recurring left shoulder injury. pic.twitter.com/PqJLBEufCH
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 8, 2025
Forward Cade Phillips is out for the season
Looking at the bigger picture, this shoulder has been something bugging Phillips all the way back to last season. It's unfortunate he's out, but it's good to see he's going to finally address this nagging injury. Now that he's out, that means the rest of the Vols' forwards need to step up.
There’s no question that freshman Nate Ament has struggled as of recent. The Vols and Rick Barnes need Ament to step up, so this slump comes at an awful time. JP Estrella has made his way back in the lineup after an ankle injury, so that's positive, as he will be critical with Phillips out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Rick Barnes experiments with some new lineups, especially since after the Louisville game next Tuesday, the Vols play Gardner-Webb and South Carolina State. Maybe we see a multiple big lineup, and Dewayne Brown plays some power forward?
The harsh reality is that right now, we have a lot more questions than answers when it comes to Tennessee basketball. Rick Barnes has his work cut out for him before SEC play begins.