Tennessee basketball’s Julian Phillips and Tyreke Key are out for the Vols’ Saturday night matchup against South Carolina.
Phillips is missing his fourth straight game with a hip flexer injury that he suffered the day before Tennessee’s loss against Missouri. Rick Barnes said he believed the five-star freshman would play against the Gamecocks when he met with the media Friday and Phillips went through pregame warmups for the second consecutive game.
“I think so,” Barnes said of Phillips and James. “How much, we don’t know. I think that will be a game-time decision. They both were in practice with us yesterday. They’ll be back out there.”
The five-star freshman attempted to give it a go against Missouri, scoring four points in 10 first half minutes before not returning. Phillips is averaging nine points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his debut college season.
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Key is missing his second game of the season and first with a new right ankle injury. The Indiana State transfer previously missed the Mississippi State game due to illness.
The shooting guard has been up-and-down for Tennessee this season and is averaging 8.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.
Tip-off at Thompson-Boling Arena is at 6 p.m. ET. Kevin Fitzgerald and Dane Bradshaw are on the call for the SEC Network.
