Julian Phillips makes jump in ESPN's updated post-combine NBA mock draft
Tennessee basketball five-star freshman wing Julian Phillips helped himself considerably at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, moving up nearly 20 spots as an early second-round pick in ESPN’s updated mock draft following the combine and pro days.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo now have Phillips at No. 34 overall, going to the Charlotte Hornets with the third pick in the second round. Last month ESPN projected Phillips as the No. 53 overall pick.
“Phillips has received positive feedback from NBA teams after a strong pre-draft process,” Givony wrote last week, while reporting that Phillips had opted to keep his name in the NBA Draft.
Phillips on the first day of the Combine had the highest running vertical leap at 43.0 inches and the highest standing vertical at 35.0 inches.
He was the lone Tennessee player that went through the draft process and opted to keep his name in the draft. Seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua both withdrew their names after taking part in the G League Elite Camp in Chicago before the NBA Draft Combine.
Julian Phillips’ Freshman Season: 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game
Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game during his freshman season, starting 25 times in 32 games, missing four games due to a hip injury in February. He shot 41.1 percent from the field but just 23.9 percent from the 3-point line. He led Tennessee in free throws made (97) and attempted (150) and was fourth in rebounding (150).
He flashed brilliance at times, like scoring 25 points against USC in November in the Bahamas or the 18 points and 11 rebounds he had at Mississippi State in January, but more often he failed to get going.
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Phillips was scoreless in 12 minutes against Florida Atlantic in the Sweet Sixteen, taking just two shots and grabbing just one rebound. He had only four points and four rebounds in 45 minutes over three NCAA Tournament games. He scored in double-figures 13 times, but only three times over his final 13 games.
Tennessee’s 2023-24 roster set at 13 scholarship players, plus Josiah-Jordan James
Tennessee’s 2023-24 roster currently stands at 13 scholarship players, along with James and the three additions from the NCAA Transfer Portal in USC Upstate guard Jordan Gainey along with Harvard forward Chris Ledlum and Northern Colorado wing Dalton Knecht.
Nkamhoua entered the transfer portal on March 30 and has reportedly narrowed his list of schools down to Baylor and West Virginia.
James announced last week that he’s returning to Tennessee for a fifth year. Phillips had entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on May 10, before opting to stay in the draft.
“I’m excited and blessed to be able to represent Tennessee for one more year,” James said while announcing his return. “After last season, I talked with the coaching staff about how important it was for me to go through the draft evaluation process and get NBA feedback, since I wasn’t able to do that last offseason.
“I also knew that the coaches here had to build a full roster for this year and prepare for the possibility that I might not be back. I love the pieces they’ve put together, and I’m eager to join this new group of teammates for one more run.”
