Sources: Vols’ Phillips, former 5-star, to transfer

Jeff Borzello, ESPN Personnel WriterMay 10, 2023, 05:41 PM ET

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• Basketball recruiting expert.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Tennessee forward Julian Phillips, a previous

  luxury recruit and McDonald’s All American, plans to enter the transfer website, sources informed ESPN.Phillips likewise got in the NBA draft previously this spring and was welcomed to the draft combine, however he will keep his options open. The due date for underclassmen to get in the transfer website is Thursday, and Phillips will have to withdraw his name from the NBA draft by May 31 if he wants to return to college.A 6-foot-8 forward from Blythewood, South Carolina, Phillips was ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 100 coming out of high school in the 2022 class. He was chosen to the McDonald’s All American Video game and was at first thought about a prospective first-round pick getting in college.During his lone season in Knoxville, Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 assists, struggling to shoot the ball from the border however making a noticeable influence on the defensive end. He

  started the very first 25 games of the season prior to missing out on 4 games with a hip injury and after that relocating to the bench for the last several games of the campaign. Phillips played his best basketball early in the season, highlighted by a 25-point, eight-rebound performance against USC at the Fight 4 Atlantis.Phillips is ranked No. 52 in ESPN’s 2023 NBA draft rankings.He’s Tennessee’s 3rd player to go into the transfer portal this offseason, signing up with Olivier Nkamhoua and B.J. Edwards. The Volunteers have had a lot of success recruiting transfers this spring, nevertheless, landing top-100 transfers Dalton Knecht(Northern Colorado ), Chris Ledlum(Harvard)and Jordan Gainey (South Carolina Upstate ).