Julian Phillips selected in second round of NBA Draft

Julian Phillips is off the board at the NBA Draft. The former five-star Tennessee freshman wing was selected at No. 35 overall Thursday, picked in the second round by the Washington Wizards and reportedly acquired by the Chicago Bulls.

Phillips is the seventh Tennessee player selected in the NBA Draft in the Rick Barnes era, following Kennedy Chandler last year, Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson in 2021 and Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone in 2019.

Phillips, who had previously been projected as a first-round pick, had dropped down to the bottom of most two-round mock drafts, but helped himself considerably at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. He moved up nearly 20 spots as an early second-round pick in ESPN’s updated mock draft following the combine and pro days.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo had Phillips at No. 34 overall earlier this month, going to the Charlotte Hornets with the third pick in the second round. Last month ESPN projected Phillips as the No. 53 overall pick.

“Phillips has received positive feedback from NBA teams after a strong pre-draft process,” Givony wrote last week, while reporting that Phillips had opted to keep his name in the NBA Draft.

Phillips on the first day of the Combine had the highest running vertical leap at 43.0 inches and the highest standing vertical at 35.0 inches.

He was the lone Tennessee player that went through the draft process and opted to keep his name in the draft. Seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua both withdrew their names after taking part in the G League Elite Camp in Chicago before the NBA Draft Combine.

James returned for a fifth season with the Vols and Nkamhoua transferred to Michigan.

Julian Phillips’ Freshman Season: 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game

Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game during his freshman season, starting 25 times in 32 games, missing four games due to a hip injury in February. He shot 41.1 percent from the field but just 23.9 percent from the 3-point line. He led Tennessee in free throws made (97) and attempted (150) and was fourth in rebounding (150).

He flashed brilliance at times, like scoring 25 points against USC in November in the Bahamas or the 18 points and 11 rebounds he had at Mississippi State in January, but more often he failed to get going.

Phillips was scoreless in 12 minutes against Florida Atlantic in the Sweet Sixteen, taking just two shots and grabbing just one rebound. He had only four points and four rebounds in 45 minutes over three NCAA Tournament games. He scored in double-figures 13 times, but only three times over his final 13 games.

Tennessee Basketball Draft History Under Rick Barnes

Entering Thursday, six Vols had heard their names called in the NBA Draft during the Rick Barnes era, dating back to the 2019 NBA Draft.

Grant Williams was the first of three Tennessee players selected in 2019, going at No. 22 overall in the first round to the Boston Celtics. Admiral Schofield was a second-round pick at No. 42 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers, eventually traded to the Washington Wizards, and Jordan Bone was the No. 57 overall pick, selected by the New Orleans Pelicans and traded to the Detroit Piston on draft night.

There were two Vols selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. Keon Johnson went No. 21 overall, selected by the New York Knicks, but was also part of a draft-night trade and ended up with the Los Angeles Clippers. Jaden Springer was the No. 28 overall pick, selected by the 76ers.

Kennedy Chander was projected as a possible first-round pick a year ago, but he slipped to No. 38 overall, picked in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs and traded on draft night to his hometown Memphis Grizzlies.