Rick Barnes discusses Josiah-Jordan James, Julian Phillips going through NBA Draft process

Tennessee wings Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips are both going through the NBA Draft process, which includes meeting with NBA personnel for workouts and interviews and gathering feedback regarding their draft status. 

College basketball players can retain their eligibility through the process as long as they withdraw from the draft by the NCAA early entry withdrawal deadline on June 1.

“That’s what they have to do and it’s a process they have to go through,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said on Tuesday during the Big Orange Caravan stop in Nashville. “They’re certainly training for it. And we want what’s best for them. So that’s just a process that they have to go through.”

Meanwhile, Barnes and his staff are continuing to actively build the roster for the 2023-24 Vols. They got a commitment from USC Upstate shooting guard Jordan Gainey on Tuesday and added Harvard forward Chris Ledlum’s commitment on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday night, senior guard Santiago Vescovi announced that he would be returning to Tennessee for a fifth season, too.

“We’re excited because he’s excited,” Barnes said of Vescovi’s decision to return.

NCAA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline set for June 1

The NBA’s early entry deadline is April 24. The NBA Draft Combine will be held May 15-21 in Chicago, after the G League Elite Camp May 13-14 in Chicago. The NBA Draft will be held June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Should either James or Phillips want to return for another season with the Vols, Barnes and his staff likely wouldn’t know the answer until late May.

Barnes on Tuesday said the timing of the recruiting calendar — programs actively working the NCAA Transfer Portal to add talent to their rosters — and the NBA Draft process is something that requires transparency from both sides.

“You’re transparent and you talk about it,” Barnes said on Tuesday in Nashville. “We know that we’ve got to do what is right for our program, knowing that this time of year, with everything changes everyday. Something can change here or there. The fact is, it’s kind of a day-to-day ordeal we go through this time of year.”

James, the senior wing, made 87 starts in 108 games over the last four seasons with the Vols, averaging 27.9 minutes per game. He scored 9.0 points per game for his career, shooting 38.0 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from the 3-point line.

Phillips, the five-star freshman wing, entered the season with one-and-done expectations, but there are questions over what’s next after an inconsistent year at Tennessee. He averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game this season, but he shot 41.1 percent from the field but just 23.9 percent from the 3-point line.

He’s projected to be a late second-round pick in most NBA mock drafts. 

Rick Barnes: ‘I don’t think you can force guys to ever come back when they’re trying to pursue their (NBA) dreams’

Barnes was also asked on Tuesday if there are changes that need to be made, or could be made, to the basketball calendar, regarding the timing of transfer moves and NBA decisions for college players. 

“I don’t know if there’s a way to fix it,” he said, “because the NBA right now is in their playoffs. These other guys are going to get ready for the draft. It’s not lining up with the transfer portal and recruiting this time of year. I don’t know what the solution is …

“I don’t think you can force guys to ever come back when they’re trying to pursue their dreams of playing in the NBA,” Barnes added. “So we have to play off of that. Like I said, the NBA, I don’t think guys will know what they can do until they get through the end of May. 

“And it’s just so different right now, where we are. But we all have to deal with it. You have to figure it out. That’s all it is. You have to figure it out.”