How Tennessee freshman Cade Phillips is playing himself out of the redshirt conversation

Rick Barnes doesn’t have to answer the question. Instead, fifth-year seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi answered it for him. No, Tennessee can’t afford to redshirt freshman forward Cade Phillips. 

The 6-foot-9, 197-pounder out of Jacksonville, Ala., has simply been too good over recent weeks to sit out for the Vols this season and not play at least a small role in the rotation.

“I don’t know if we can redshirt him,” Barnes said during Tennessee’s media day last week, “because if you ask Santi and Josiah, they would say you can’t. Because you watch him every day in practice, and I go home and watch the tape, he’s productive.”

James and Vescovi confirmed as much after Barnes held his press conference.

“I think he’s a great player,” Vescovi said. “He’s one of the most physical guys we have.”

“He’s like an energizer bunny,” James added. “He’s a glue guy on offense, but on defense he’s a tough, tough, hard-nosed player. I have to go up and match up against him every day, so I know he’s a gritty guy. He’s tough and he’s gonna play to win.”

Cade Phillips finally healthy after battling injuries for last two years

Phillips was a three-star prospect, ranked No. 150 overall in the 2023 class in the On3 Industry Consensus. He was the No. 21 center in the country and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Alabama, playing at Jacksonville School.

He finished his prep career at Link Academy in Missouri, where he was teammates and roommates with Tennessee freshman wing Cam Carr. 

“Honestly, Cade hasn’t surprised me,” Carr said last week, “because … I knew he was gonna be a person to go on and play hard and I think it just really showed. He looks skinny, but he’s one of the strongest dudes I think I’ve played with and against in practice. I think that’s really surprised people.”

Phillips himself struggles to explain why his game has surprised his new coaches and teammates. The most obvious reason is the injuries that piled up in recent years. A broken foot cost him almost his entire junior season in high school, then knee tendinitis slowed him down last season.

He had labrum surgery in May, sidelining him during summer workouts at Tennessee and leaving him unavailable for the three exhibition games the Vols played in Italy in August.

“Since I’ve been committed here,” Phillips said, “I’ve battled a lot of injuries, so them being able to see me play full speed against high-level competition, they haven’t been able to see a whole lot of that.

“Just getting into practice and competing (after) battling a shoulder injury all summer, kind of started practicing the last three weeks. So it’s just getting in and competing is really all I could do.”

All he’s done is change opinions and change his trajectory. Phillips is still unlikely to play a big role in Tennessee’s rotation, but he’s earned whatever minutes he can get, even if you wouldn’t guess it by looking at him.

“He looks skinny and everything,” Vescovi said, “but I don’t know. I heard he played football growing up. I’m telling you he is a really, really strong guy. Playing against him, he’s one of the most active guys in the post. He’s a lob threat at all times because he is actually one of the guys that jumps the highest, really. 

“And then he is a smart guy, too. He’s understanding more our offense and where his spots are, where he can shoot it when he’s supposed to.”

Phillips offered his own scouting report by describing his game as defensive versatility with an offensive game that has developed under Tennessee’s coaching staff, with newly added post moves and what Barnes described as some changes to the mechanics of his jump shot. 

“I’m a taller and lankier player at the forward position,” Phillips said, “but I feel like I move very, very well and my feet move very well. So that allows me to guard one through five and switch.

“… My offensive game since being here has progressed greatly. I went from something that I didn’t really have a move to go to, to now I’m comfortable getting the ball in certain spots and score when I have to.”

‘He gets things done … he’s picked it up quicker than we thought’

In a scrimmage Tennessee held September 30, Phillips led the Vols in rebounds, according to Barnes, while Tobe Awaka (concussion) and JP Estrella (fractured finger) were out. The workout painted an accurate picture of what Tennessee coaches have seen from him since he got on the floor.

“He might not even score a basket the whole day,” Barnes said, but “… he gets things done. He’s understanding what we want to do offensively. He’s picked it up quicker than we thought.”

Barnes admits there was “no doubt” when Phillips arrived that the Vols started talking to him and preparing him for the redshirt season that he was clearly destined for.

Now, a month out from the start of the regular season, he can’t say what exactly Phillips’ freshman season will look like. What he does know is how high the ceiling is for a player who has emerged quickly.

“I know one thing,” Barnes said, “he’s got a great future and he’s going be, he’s going to be a guy that’s going to help us win a lot of games here. And he’s going to be a big part of this program this year and moving forward.”