Injury Report: Tennessee's Cade Phillips 'getting his chippiness back' despite shoulder injury
Tennessee Basketball’s injury report on Tuesday night once again listed only sophomore forward JP Estrella, who had season-ending foot surgery in November, as out for Wednesday’s game against Georgia.
But the left shoulder injury for sophomore forward Cade Phillips isn’t going away. Phillips continues to wear a brace on the shoulder in practice and games, playing through pain while hesitating to the left arm he injured in the second half against Arkansas on January 4.
“Cade is tough as nails, that’s a good thing,” Tennessee assistant coach Lucas Campbell said before practice on Tuesday. “In the games he’s told me adrenaline takes over and he starts to just go.”
No. 6 Tennessee (15-1, 2-1 SEC) and No. 23 Georgia (14-2, 2-1) on Wednesday are scheduled for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: SEC Network) at Food City Center. The Bulldogs listed all players as available on Tuesday’s injury report.
Phillips scored four points in 10 minutes off the bench in the 74-70 win at Texas on Saturday night, going 2-for-3 from the field with four rebounds. He played just three minutes in the loss at Florida last Tuesday.
“He missed a bunny there (at Texas),” Campbell said. “I don’t know if that had to do with his shoulder or not, but he did a great job. He had a nice put-back dunk.
“He’s getting his chippiness back. We need that. He’s probably the most physical big we have as far as hitting people.”
Cade Phillips suffered dislocated shoulder injury vs. Arkansas
Head coach Rick Barnes said Phillips “battled” through the injury at Texas.
“Really proud of Cade Phillips tonight,” Barnes said after the win at Texas. “Really proud. He went in the game and he battled. And his shoulder is not what it needs to be.”
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The ESPN2 broadcast of the Tennessee-Florida game described the injury as a dislocated shoulder. He has worn a brace on his left shoulder since suffering the injury.
Barnes said after the Arkansas game that Phillips could have played more in the second half after getting hurt, but the score didn’t make it necessary.
Cade Phillips averaging 15.9 minutes per game off the bench
Phillips is averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game this season.
He was injured while chasing a loose ball in the second half against Arkansas, going to the Tennessee locker room briefly before returning to the floor. He finished the Arkansas game 11 minutes played.
The three minutes he played at Florida was a season low.
“He wasn’t the same in terms of like the one lob he went up for,” Barnes said last week, “he didn’t even raise his left arm. He went up and tried to get it one-handed, which that’s one reason he didn’t play more.”
“Cade’s tough,” Barnes added. “He’s never going to complain. He’s just … I could tell he wasn’t normally what he is.”
