South Carolina Native & Tennessee Forward Julian Phillips Enters The Transfer Portal

Former five-star Julian Phillips has announced he will be entering the transfer portal, and has interesting ties with South Carolina's Basketball program.

Big news emerged from Knoxville today, with reports coming out that Tennessee Forward Julian Phillips was entering the transfer portal. Phillips played a pivotal role for the Volunteers last year, averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds over 24.1 minutes a game. The potential loss of Philips could serve as a big blow for Tennessee's roster and would make the SEC East race a little more interesting for the bottom teams in the division.

This comes as big news for multiple reasons for South Carolina. One of the interesting things about Phillips' announcement to enter the transfer portal is his connection to South Carolina. Phillips was raised for most of his youth in Blythewood, South Carolina, and attended Blythewood High School for two years, with his old stomping grounds residing just a half-hour drive away from Columbia.

A recent trend amongst many players entering the transfer portal has been trying to find a school that is close to home, something that could entice Phillips to consider the Gamecocks. Combine that with the progress Lamont Paris' Gamecocks made throughout this past season and this offseason, Columbia could be an attractive spot for Philips should he withdraw his name from the NBA Draft pool and leave Tennessee. Paris still has one more scholarship to use for the 2023 season and could consider using that on Phillips due to the immense talent the forward possesses.

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