Tennessee announced that Cade Phillips would miss the rest of the season on Monday afternoon. Phillips is set for shoulder surgery, which will repair a lingering issue and sideline him for the next several
months.
Phillips, a junior, appeared in ten games this season. He was handling 16.9 minutes per game, averaging 3.8 points and four rebounds per contest.
“I think it’s something that’s kind of a lingering thing for him, right?” Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey said last week. “I think it’s getting better, but he’s still limited in some things that he can and can’t do. I don’t think it’s right now to the point where he can’t play, but Cade’s tough. He’s mentally tough, he’s physically tough. He wants to be out there with his teammates, so he’s gonna figure it out.”
Tennessee will pursue a medical redshirt for Phillips.
Phillips was a part of a very deep frontcourt for Tennessee. Rick Barnes is still tinkering with lineups as the Volunteers have struggled over the past couple of weeks. Felix Okpara will continue his rim protecting role, while Jaylen Carey has emerged as an offensive threat over the past couple of games. Tennessee now really needs J.P. Estrella healthy going forward and true freshman DeWayne Brown to continue to develop quickly.
Tennessee will be back in action on December 16th against Louisville in Knoxville.
