'22 SC SF Julian Phillips (Tennessee commit)

[cncchris33]

So, in other words, he's been on vacation for a week and doesn't really have any new info to share lol

Yeah, in terms of "expert" analysis, that isn't exactly stop-the-presses work by Lewis. In fact, I've been saying that exact same thing for weeks, now. And heck, I didn't even go on vacation, much less get paid for my opinion on the subject. Geez...VQ is slipping.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I like how the “best” AKA only info VQ has brought us in weeks is just speculation and lazy analysis that we all kind of expected and not any actual insight into how the staff or Julian feels. That would apparently take work.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Yeah, in terms of "expert" analysis, that isn't exactly stop-the-presses work by Lewis. In fact, I've been saying that exact same thing for weeks, now. And heck, I didn't even go on vacation, much less get paid for my opinion on the subject. Geez...VQ is slipping.

Barnes told them to doubt anyone who promised minutes, and to see a full NIL in written MOU form or assume lying. Pearl and Pearl proceeded to guarantee minutes and offer a theoretical NIL with nothing in writing. Spyre has offered a real NIL (written MOU) that matched USC. I am guessing, but I think Phillips people are pissed that he can’t get both an assurance of playing time and a written deal. Barnes refuses to lie. So-bluff called. You have to assume KSU has said we can offer both, or else why visit? I think his best deal is here. He gets NIL and development, but I’m sure Pearl told him to look at BHH and others who don’t play enough. If he’s ready, Ignite is the best path after that.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Again— Tang is the top of the top recruiters in the country. He built that Baylor team. He know Phillips’ people. I wouldn’t count him out.

 

[VolOnthePlains]

Barnes told them to doubt anyone who promised minutes, and to see a full NIL in written MOU form or assume lying. Pearl and Pearl proceeded to guarantee minutes and offer a theoretical NIL with nothing in writing. Spyre has offered a real NIL (written MOU) that matched USC. I am guessing, but I think Phillips people are pissed that he can’t get both an assurance of playing time and a written deal. Barnes refuses to lie. So-bluff called. You have to assume KSU has said we can offer both, or else why visit? I think his best deal is here. He gets NIL and development, but I’m sure Pearl told him to look at BHH and others who don’t play enough. If he’s ready, Ignite is the best path after that.

That would certainly track with Barne’s recent interview about NIL checks “bouncing”

 

[cncchris33]

Barnes told them to doubt anyone who promised minutes, and to see a full NIL in written MOU form or assume lying. Pearl and Pearl proceeded to guarantee minutes and offer a theoretical NIL with nothing in writing. Spyre has offered a real NIL (written MOU) that matched USC. I am guessing, but I think Phillips people are pissed that he can’t get both an assurance of playing time and a written deal. Barnes refuses to lie. So-bluff called. You have to assume KSU has said we can offer both, or else why visit? I think his best deal is here. He gets NIL and development, but I’m sure Pearl told him to look at BHH and others who don’t play enough. If he’s ready, Ignite is the best path after that.

Right, based on Barnes's comments, I assumed much of that was already true. The lack of guaranteed playing time seemed to be the sticking point, and so, too, as a result, it seems as if he's looking for any reason not to come to Tennessee. If K-State is offering that, and he wants to play for a mid-level Big 12 team in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, then have at it. I'm nearing the point of preferring we just move on because it's clear he is choosing a school for all the wrong reasons and I'm not sure our culture needs that type of influence inside the locker room. Sad as that is to say. Can you imagine our current team trying to indoctrinate that INAM culture into a kid who chose Tennessee solely on the premise of being the highest bidder and only because they guaranteed him "X" number of minutes? I can't see that working out well.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Can we all agree to call Pearl, “Saul Goodman”?

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Right, based on Barnes's comments, I assumed much of that was already true. The lack of guaranteed playing time seemed to be the sticking point, and so, too, as a result, it seems as if he's looking for any reason not to come to Tennessee. If K-State is offering that, and he wants to play for a mid-level Big 12 team in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, then have at it. I'm nearing the point of preferring we just move on because it's clear he is choosing a school for all the wrong reasons and I'm not sure our culture needs that type of influence inside the locker room. Sad as that is to say. Can you imagine our current team trying to indoctrinate that INAM culture into a kid who chose Tennessee solely on the premise of being the highest bidder and only because they guaranteed him "X" number of minutes? I can't see that working out well.[/QUOTE

Based on outside observation of those facts, I agree. That said, AAU friends say Phillips is a great kid. Things got really crowded in the tent after Will Wade was fired. Parents felt like they needed pros to avoid repeating the mistake. I have some empathy based on that. Parents trust Barnes. That may mean more in the end if they can discuss with no weasels in the room.

 

[AngryButchJones]

Barnes told them to doubt anyone who promised minutes, and to see a full NIL in written MOU form or assume lying. Pearl and Pearl proceeded to guarantee minutes and offer a theoretical NIL with nothing in writing. Spyre has offered a real NIL (written MOU) that matched USC. I am guessing, but I think Phillips people are pissed that he can’t get both an assurance of playing time and a written deal. Barnes refuses to lie. So-bluff called. You have to assume KSU has said we can offer both, or else why visit? I think his best deal is here. He gets NIL and development, but I’m sure Pearl told him to look at BHH and others who don’t play enough. If he’s ready, Ignite is the best path after that.

VQ should hire you to replace Rob

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Barnes told them to doubt anyone who promised minutes, and to see a full NIL in written MOU form or assume lying. Pearl and Pearl proceeded to guarantee minutes and offer a theoretical NIL with nothing in writing. Spyre has offered a real NIL (written MOU) that matched USC. I am guessing, but I think Phillips people are pissed that he can’t get both an assurance of playing time and a written deal. Barnes refuses to lie. So-bluff called. You have to assume KSU has said we can offer both, or else why visit? I think his best deal is here. He gets NIL and development, but I’m sure Pearl told him to look at BHH and others who don’t play enough. If he’s ready, Ignite is the best path after that.

I think your BHH comment is the real sticking point being used with Phillips and other big men targets by other schools against Barnes at this point. It doesn’t look good with few big men not growing to NBA caliber when they come to Rocky Top.

Before some of you jump on me I’m not saying this staff isn’t capable just that I believe this is what recruits are being told.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Yeah, sadly some of these NBA or bust type players end up with more handlers than helpers in their journey.

If you're a competitive player whose goal is to be in the NBA guaranteed minutes shouldn't be a worry. Cause no NBA team will give you that either.

 

[johnfnkelly]

I think your BHH comment is the real sticking point being used with Phillips and other big men targets by other schools against Barnes at this point. It doesn’t look good with few big men not growing to NBA caliber when they come to Rocky Top.

Before some of you jump on me I’m not saying this staff isn’t capable just that I believe this is what recruits are being told.

Since CRB has been at UT he's only signed 2 blue chip big men, so the sample size is still too small, especially with both being 2021 signees.

But Phillips isn't a big man. He's a wing. 2/3 of CRB's 5* wings were first round picks after 1 season.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

I find it hard to believe that Kansas State can match our NIL, but I guess we’ll see. It just seems like an odd choice, whether Tang is an elite recruiter or not.

It’s definitely frustrating to see that we’ve checked one of his major boxes already (NIL) but that he isn’t just willing to budge on the guaranteed minutes. Auburn can argue BHH as an example of not getting the minutes Phillips will want, but we can easily counter with “Yes, but Kennedy Chandler,” who was another 5-star prospect that played significant minutes.

Hopefully he doesn’t let that snake oil recruiting sway him.

 

[johnfnkelly]

I think atp i'd rather have a senior Keion Brooks for a season than a freshman Julian Phillips for a season.

 

[Adam Sandler]

Wth is goin on in auburn. Wish pearl had gone out of conference. Maybe a big time job opens up and he takes it. We can hope

 

[VolOnthePlains]

I talked to some folks in Auburn today and they think he’s going to UT. TIFWIW obviously but these same people told me about an hour after Wade was fired that they thought Auburn would sign Traore and Phillips and now they’ve changed their tune on Phillips.

 

[McGeesPub]

I talked to some folks in Auburn today and they think he’s going to UT. TIFWIW obviously but these same people told me about an hour after Wade was fired that they thought Auburn would sign Traore and Phillips and now they’ve changed their tune on Phillips.

I’d feel more comfortable on betting on Phillips not going to Auburn than I would on him coming to UT.

 

[JelloPuddinPup]

I have to put myself in the kids shoes. If they truly believe that a certain amount of playing time + the best NIL package is what sets him and his future on a successful path, then they absolutely should look around. Nothing wrong with that. We all look at our own situations from the best perspective we can when it comes to jobs, houses, purchases, etc. This is a commitment for 1+ year potentially with a major impact on the next 10-20 years of his life. If it requires him an additional month to make a decision, so be it.

Do I want him at UT, yes. Will I be heartbroken if he goes somewhere else? Not really. But I will always want these kids to do what they believe is best for them, I just hope it's what is best for my team as well.

 

[Lankykong]

I’d feel more comfortable on betting on Phillips not going to Auburn than I would on him coming to UT.

Totally agree with this. If he wants to be here, I’d love to have him, but I kinda think he just chooses Ignite at this point

 

[VolOnthePlains]

I’d feel more comfortable on betting on Phillips not going to Auburn than I would on him coming to UT.

Fair enough. I just know there’s a lot of doom and gloom on here anytime UT goes up against Pearl in recruiting so I asked someone who would know and he thinks this time UT came out on top. Nothing would surprise me, he could still pick K State, G League or even Florida State

 

[VolOnthePlains]

Totally agree with this. If he wants to be here, I’d love to have him, but I kinda think he just chooses Ignite at this point

G League still seems like a long shot to me. Stoerner confirmed Spyre had offered him more money to come to UT for a year and if the G League route (better coaching, less restrictions, etc) were as attractive as some have made it out to be surely some other top prospects would have gone that way this year.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

VQ should hire you to replace Rob

He’ll wake back up at snack time.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

I talked to some folks in Auburn today and they think he’s going to UT. TIFWIW obviously but these same people told me about an hour after Wade was fired that they thought Auburn would sign Traore and Phillips and now they’ve changed their tune on Phillips.

Three weeks ago I believed we were the single entity with the best chance of signing him. I still believe that, but we were a 60/40 pie with FSU then. Now we’re probably 40/30/20/10 with Ignite, Auburn and KSU. Those are arbitrary numbers, but they illustrate the shift. If you forced an insider to make a prediction they’d uncomfortably choose us, but our total odds are probably now worse than a coin flip. I have to say Barnes played the Pearl situation well. I still don’t know how it ends. I hope it’s over soon with Barnes head on the coin facing up.

 

[VolOnthePlains]

Three weeks ago I believed we were the single entity with the best chance of signing him. I still believe that, but we were a 60/40 pie with FSU then. Now we’re probably 40/30/20/10 with Ignite, Auburn and KSU. Those are arbitrary numbers, but they illustrate the shift. If you forced an insider to make a prediction they’d uncomfortably choose us, but our total odds are probably now worse than a coin flip. I have to say Barnes played the Pearl situation well. I still don’t know how it ends. I hope it’s over soon with Barnes head on the coin facing up.

The person I talked to likened it to a war of attrition. Tennessee has been in the lead for a while and obviously for the biggest unsigned high school prospect left, other teams are throwing everything they have at him, but Tennessee is standing firm in his thinking. That’s why I found Rob Lewis’ take a little strange.

 

[cncchris33]

Can we all agree to call Pearl, “Saul Goodman”?

The more I think about it, the more appropriate this comparison really is.