ESPN NBA mock draft has Julian Phillips late in the second round

A new 2023 NBA mock draft from ESPN on Wednesday has Tennessee’s Julian Phillips projected as the No. 53 overall pick, out of 58, in the upcoming draft, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second round.

Phillips, the five-star freshman wing who just finished his freshman season with the Vols in March, has not yet announced his intentions for the future. He could enter the NBA Draft and still retain his collegiate eligibility and return to school, should he chose to do so based on feedback from NBA personnel during the pre-draft process.

Athletes have to apply for early entry into the NBA Draft by April 23. June 1 is the last day to withdraw from the draft and maintain collegiate eligibility.

After Tennessee’s loss to Florida Atlantic in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden on March 23, Phillips said he was still processing the loss and the end of the season, not thinking about what was next for him personally.

He was scoreless with a rebound and a foul in 12 minutes off the bench, going 0-for-2 from the field. He had only four points and four rebounds in 45 minutes over three NCAA Tournament games.

“Just being here with my team and being here with my brothers, this is really tough,” Phillips said after the season-ending loss. “Everything in the future, we can sit down and figure that out later when we get away from here.”

Julian Phillips: 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game this season

Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game for the Vols during his freshman season, starting 25 times in 32 games and 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 had a season-high 25 points against USC in November in the Bahamas and had 18 points and 11 rebounds he had at Mississippi State in January. He scored in double-figures 13 times, but only three times over his final 13 games.

“I definitely wish I could have played better,” Phillips said. “I know the type of player I am. I know the work I put in. I have to get back in the gym, get my game right.” 

“I learned a lot this year,” he added. “I learned a lot about myself. Just being here was a blessing for me. I am thankful for everything coach (Rick) Barnes taught me this year.”

The two-round mock draft from ESPN had 21 other players listed as small forwards getting drafted ahead of Phillips. After the loss to FAU, he said his decision on what is next would come after talking with those closest to him. 

“I am not sure what my future holds yet,” Phillips said. “I will sit down and discuss it and make the best decision for me.”

ESPN: ‘There’s a compelling case for (Julian Phillips) to return for another year’

ESPN’s ranking of the best available players for the NBA Draft has Phillips ranked 53rd overall and 13th among small forwards.

“Phillips didn’t have a very productive freshman season,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote in his pre-draft analysis of Phillips, “struggling in a minor role to score with efficiency, shooting 47% inside the arc and 24% outside it. He doesn’t have a consistent means of scoring, struggles to make open jumpers, lacks ballhandling ability and sees his best production via running in the open floor, crashing the offensive glass and cuts.

“But Phillips’ positional size, length and frame give him some long-term upside, which could be intriguing enough for a second-round flier. He looks the part of a big-time small forward prospect and sometimes plays like it, too, bringing good energy crashing the offensive glass and showing some multi-positional defensive versatility with his intensity and physical tools.

“Workouts will play a key role in deciding how high in the second round Phillips could be picked,” Givony continued, “but there’s a compelling case for him to return for another year in college.”