Tennessee landed the highest-rated uncommitted player in the 2022 recruiting cycle on Thursday afternoon. The Vols picked up a commitment from five-star Julian Phillips, an extremely versatile wing player, over Auburn, Florida State, South Carolina, USC (Cali.), Overtime Elite, and the NBA G-League Ignite.
Vol Recruiting: BREAKING – Tennessee Basketball Lands Five-Star Power Forward
The Vols landing Phillips this late into the recruiting cycle is nothing short of a momentous win. According to 247 Sports, Phillips ranks as the No. 12 overall player in the nation and the No. 4 small forward in the class.
In addition, Phillips is now locked in as Tennessee’s fourth-highest recruit in team history, right in the middle of three recent former one-and-done Vols. Kennedy Chandler is Tennessee’s third-highest all-time recruit, Phillips is No. 4, Jaden Springer is at No. 5, and Keon Johnson rounds out the four at No. 6.
With the commitment from Phillips on Thursday, Tennessee’s recruiting class moved from 77th to 36th in the nation according to 247’s rankings.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward has the height of a power forward with the smooth operating skills of a sharp wing player. Phillips has a nose for the basket while driving to the rim, but also has the ability to stand back on the outside for a catch-and-release three-pointer. As highlighted by the videos below, Phillips is also a terrific transition basketball player whether it be with the ball in his hands or driving to the hoop.
