College Basketball Recruiting
Rumors are swirling that Tennessee’s Julian Phillips could wind up at SEC rival Auburn through the transfer portal
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated10 Apr 2023
The offseason for college basketball is just as important as the regular season is. Programs need to stay on top of being in contact with the best recruits in the country, but they also need to be active in the transfer portal as well. Tennessee’s Julian Phillips could be leaving the Volunteers for an SEC rival. College basketball sources say that Auburn could land Phillips in the transfer portal and that would be a huge pick-up for their program.
NIL deals have brought some life back to college sports and it’s giving athletes more of an incentive to stay in school. Julian Phillips is taking advantage of that, but it might not be with the Volunteers next season as he hasn’t decided on his future yet.
College basketball analysts have hinted that Phillips could be snagged in the transfer portal by Auburn. Head coach Bruce Pearl would love to land a talented forward to their roster next season like Phillips.
Some whispers on this. I’ll just say that Auburn needs a wing if that’s a hint. https://t.co/CvvZJ8YMaq
— Tristan Freeman (@hoopsnut351) April 9, 2023
Julian Phillips could wind up playing for Auburn next season if Tennessee can’t retain their forward
Tennessee lost 62-55 to Florida Atlantic in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and the Volunteers could have four seniors all return for next season. That would be massive for their program and it could allow them to add the young pieces around them to be a serious contender in the SEC next season.
One player who’s still undecided about where he wants to play next season is Julian Phillips. He played in 32 games and made 25 starts for the Volunteers last season. Phillips averaged (8.3) points, (4.7) rebounds, and (1.6) assists per game and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team this season.
He hinted after Tennesee’s loss to FAU that this might have been his only season with the Volunteers. Nothing is written in stone yet and Tennessee still has a chance to retain Phillips for next season. The last thing they want to see is him end up at an SEC rival school.
