Tennessee Basketball: Efficient Julian Phillips is 'just going to get so much better' for Vols

At times, Rick Barnes doesn’t see the stats in a box score. Instead, the Tennessee basketball coach sees only the numbers that aren’t there.

For example: The career-high 10 rebounds Julian Phillips had in the 84-49 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday at Thompson-Boling Arena. 

The 6-foot-8, 198-pound five-star freshman wing had 16 points to go with the 10 boards in his first career double-double, but there were a few rebounds Barnes believed Phillips left on the glass.

“I told him he should have had 13 rebounds,” Barnes said after the game. “On one possession he had the ball on two or three of them.”

But the critique doesn’t last long with Phillips. 

“And he’s just going to get so much better,” Barnes continued, “I mean he’s so efficient.”

Phillips, just nine games into his Tennessee career, is the leading scorer for the Vols, averaging 12.2 points per game, ahead of Santiago Vescovi’s 12.0. He’s the leading rebounder too, at 5.7, ahead of Vescovi’s 5.0.

Phillips has gotten to the foul line more than his anyone, shooting 61 free throws. 

“I think when you look at where he is after where we are right now,” Barnes said, “I’m not sure there’s been a more effective freshman in college basketball. I don’t know if anyone’s affected their team as much as he has.”

Rick Barnes: ‘I’m not sure where we would be without’ Julian Phillips

Phillips was a consensus five-star prospect and ranked No. 13 overall in the On3 Consensus in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He decommitted from LSU after the firing of Will Wade, picking Tennessee the second time around in his recruitment. 

He’s lived up to the billing for the Vols, but he’s still just getting started. 

“He is learning the pace of the game,” Barnes said. “It is hard to guard the way we want to guard. It’s all new to him. He’s obviously played on the perimeter some but mostly in high school he probably played more around the basket with post guys. Now he’s learning how to switch and do some fix-it things.”

Phillips said it comes down to two-way aggression.

“Just for myself, being aggressive offensively,” he said. “Then on defense, our coaches hold us to a high standard on the defensive end. They know defense turns into easy offense, so it’s just being there on both ends.”

And yes, he’s aware that there are more rebounds to grab at times, as his head coach pointed out Wednesday night.

“That’s something our coaches want us to do,” Phillips said. “Just be aggressive on the offensive boards and defensive boards. So for myself, I’m just trying to be as aggressive as I can be.”

Phillips knows he’s a better shooter than he’s shown early in his collegiate career. He’s shooing 38.7 percent from the field and just 21.1 percent from the 3-point line, making 4 of 19 attempts.

“I know there will be some nights where shots don’t fall,” Phillips said, “and some nights that they do. I know I’m a better shooter than whatever my percentage probably is right now. 

“(It’s) just staying consistent in the gym with it, keep getting shots up and I know eventually it’ll come back around.”

Still, he’s making an impact — and then some — on both ends of the floor, despite the percentages.

Up Next: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Maryland, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Tennessee will need Phillips to keep making his presence known against No. 13 Maryland on Sunday (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time; TV: Fox Sports 1) in Brooklyn and at No. 10 Arizona on December 17 in the first true road game of the season.

“Two really good teams,” Phillips said, “so you know it’s going to be a high-level game and those are the fun games we look forward to as players.”

The Vols need Phillips to just be himself.

“Julian has been terrific for us,” Barnes said, “ …what’s great about him is that he wants to get better. We set the bar high, but he may have set it higher for himself. 

“He’s very versatile, can do a lot of different things. With what we’ve gone through with some injuries I’m not sure where we would be without him.”