Tennessee freshman forward Julian Phillips came of age Thursday afternoon in the Bahamas, powering the No. 22 Volunteers past Southern California 73-66 in overtime and into Friday night’s Battle 4 Atlantis championship pairing against No. 3 Kansas.
Phillips had neither dazzled nor disappointed through his first four games with the Vols, averaging 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, but he created his own Thanksgiving feast with 25 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 198-pound, five-star signee from Blythewood, South Carolina, made 7-of-13 shots from the floor, including his lone 3-point attempt, and was 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.
“He is an impact player, and he can impact a game in so many ways,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said on a Zoom call. “We can play him anywhere on the court. He can bring the ball down. He’ll do anything, and the fact he’s playing with some guys who are committed to defense has helped him a lot.
“It will be interesting to see how he reacts tomorrow.”
Kansas advanced in the first Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal Thursday with a 69-68 topping of Wisconsin that also required overtime. The Vols and Jayhawks will hook up for the third time in the past four seasons at 7:30, with ESPN televising the game.