Tennessee is going to need him back quickly.
Cade Phillips was listed as questionable last week heading into the Florida matchup, but ultimately ended up being available to play. That availability turned into just three minutes on the floor, however.
Tennessee could have used his athleticism and size in the front court against the Gators, who beat up the Volunteers in every way possible on Tuesday night in Gainesville. The limitation of Phillips forced Felix Okpara to handle 29 minutes, while Darlinstone Dubar and Jahmai Mashack were forced to play out of position a bit.
Rick Barnes had a very specific reason for keeping Phillips under wraps.
“The other night he wasn’t — I could tell by watching the film after the game — he wasn’t the same in terms of like the one lob he went up for, he didn’t even raise his left arm,” Rick Barnes said of Phillips on Thursday. “He went up and tried to get it one-handed, which that’s one reason he didn’t play more because — Cade’s tough. He’s never gonna complain. He’s just not. But I could tell he wasn’t normally what he is.”
Tennessee is dealing with front court depth issues after losing center JP Estrella to a season-ending injury. Simply put, there’s no margin for error here, so the status of Phillips going forward is a large storyline as SEC play ramps up.
Phillips played 11 minutes against Arkansas on Saturday before exiting with a shoulder injury. He dove for a loose ball and came up holding his shoulder against the Razorbacks. He was spotted with a brace during practice on Monday before the Florida game.
How much progress could he make before Saturday’s trip to Austin? That remains to be seen. Tennessee will release its official injury report on Friday night.
Tip-off between Tennessee and Texas is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.