The window to use the transfer portal in men’s college basketball will close tomorrow, but Tennessee’s Julian Phillips was a fascinating late addition.
Phillips, 19, is a low-usage wing who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make his presence known. He declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and could hear his name called in the first round or early in the second round.
Although the freshman received an invitation to participate during the 2023 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he will keep his options open by entering the transfer portal.
What makes us so enthusiastic about a player who averaged 8.3 points per game who struggled to score efficiently on his jump shot while recording nearly as many turnovers as assists?
Phillips has an ideal frame for the NBA, standing at 6-foot-8 with a reported wingspan near 7-foot. He also has the type of athleticism that allows him to throw down highlights like this one:
OK JULIAN PHILLIPS CLIMBED THE LADDER pic.twitter.com/zSRy7px61V
— The Amateur NBA Analyst (@droppingdimes20) March 18, 2023
Most important, though, is that Phillips has the potential to make a professional career as a defensive standout. Phillips finished this past season with the highest Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) among all Division I players, per Evan Miya.
Opponents scored 0.57 points per chance when Phillips is credited as the nearest defender, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform. That was the best overall mark among players in the transfer portal with at least 100 defensive chances tracked.
Tennessee held opponents to score 81.0 points per 100 possessions when Phillips was on the court, which was the lowest mark among all players in Division I. His team allowed an additional 19.0 points per 100 possessions when he was off the floor, which was the second-largest swing among all high-major players.
Tape was hit-and-miss for Julian Phillips as a freshman at Tennessee, especially on the offensive end. That said, on-off numbers really showcase his defensive impact. These stats are per Hoop-Explorer and show only competition vs. top-100 teams with garbage time filtered out: pic.twitter.com/DTlR2c5nCF
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) May 10, 2023
His defense when guarding the perimeter was particularly valuable and impactful. The Vols allowed opposing teams to shoot just 21.1 percent on 3-pointers when Phillips was on the floor, per CBB Analytics, which was the best mark among all players in college basketball.
But it wasn’t just beyond the arc where Phillips may have helped create a defensive advantage. Opponents also shot just 24.3 percent from midrange when Phillips was on the court, which was the second-lowest among all high-major players in 2022-23.
What specifically made Phillips such an important player on the defensive end of the floor?
Julian Phillips projects to be a high-end role player in the NBA.
Ideal size at 6'8" with solid athleticism. He's a reliable low-usage wing shooter and defender that has untapped potential as a creator. Great feel for the game and plays with a ton of patience. pic.twitter.com/trvcpwMBN5
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) May 3, 2023
Tennessee allowed 0.56 points per chance on possessions after closeouts from Phillips, per Stats Perform, which was the second-best among players in the transfer portal who had at least 50 closeouts tracked.
He crashed the glass hard and boxed out on 39.1 percent of his total rebound opportunities, which ranked second-best among players in the transfer portal with at least 50 rebound chances tracked.
A helpful reminder from our friends at Cerebro Sports: This is the same Phillips who recorded 23 points and a whopping 27 rebounds (including 15 offensive rebounds) for Blythewood (South Carolina) in the Chick-Fil-A Classic, adding 1 steal and 3 blocks, back in 2019.
Phillips was one of the highest-rated recruits out of high school to enter the transfer portal. While at Link Academy in high school, he was one of the top performers at the 2022 GEICO Nationals en route to their appearance in the championship game.
We looked at NBA likelihood percentages provided by Nick Kalinowski. You can learn more about the metric here. Phillips (63.9 percent) has the second-highest grade (trailing only Hunter Dickinson) among all players who entered the transfer portal.
His free-throw percentage (82.2 percent) suggests his jump shot isn’t broken and he may have decent touch on his release. So if he can get his jumper to connect more consistently, Phillips could have a massive impact no matter where he plays next season.
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