Rick Barnes: Cade Phillips 'battled' at Texas, but his shoulder is 'not what it needs to be'
Cade Phillips “battled” through injury to play 10 minutes in Tennessee’s 74-70 win at Texas, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds off the bench Saturday night at the Moody Center in Austin.
Phillips, the sophomore forward who injured his left shoulder in the 76-52 home win over Arkansas last Saturday, played just three minutes at Florida on Tuesday, going scoreless with one rebound.
“Really proud of Cade Phillips tonight,” Tennessee coach Rick 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.”
Barnes also noted that Jahmai Mashack’s injured left hand “affected him some” against the Longhorns. Mashack scored six points in 20 minutes, going 3-for-6 from the field, with two rebounds and two assists.
“Mashack is still dealing with his hand,” Barnes said.
Mashack has played with two fingers taped together on his left hand after being injured while going for a loose ball in the first half against Middle Tennessee State on December 23.
Up Next: Tennessee vs. Georgia, Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET
Phillips was injured while chasing a loose ball in the second half against Arkansas. Barnes said after the 73-43 loss at Florida that Phillips wasn’t himself.
“He wasn’t the same in terms of like the one lob he went up for,” Barnes said before practice Thursday, “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.”
The three minutes he played at Florida was a season low.
“Cade’s tough,” Barnes said. “He’s never going to complain. He’s just … I could tell he wasn’t normally what he is.”
Phillips played just 11 minutes against Arkansas after suffering the injury in the second half.
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.
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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.
Phillips is averaging 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game this season.
Multiple injuries have slowed Tennessee players this season
Tennessee has had to deal with multiple injuries this season.
The Vols lost sophomore power forward JP Estrella to season-ending foot surgery in late November. Sophomore wing Cameron Carr needed thumb surgery after he was injured against Austin Peay on November 17, then left the program abruptly on December 23, opting to transfer.
Freshman guard Bishop Boswell missed the Middle Tennessee State game on December 23 after injuring his shoulder against Western Carolina on December 17. He returned against Norfolk State on December 31, but has played just four minutes in the last two games.
Both Boswell and transfer wing Darlinstone Dubar have missed one game each this season while in concussion protocol.
Tennessee entered the season with 11 scholarship players out of a possible 13. The Vols are down to nine scholarship players available after Carr’s departure and Estrella’s season-ending injury.
“We’re down to what, nine scholarship players,” Barnes said, “and two of them aren’t at 100 percent like a lot of teams have right now.”
