Cade Phillips couldn't pass up the chance to take in Tennessee's matchup with No. 6 Arizona on Wednesday night.
The four-star power forward returned to Knoxville for the first time since his official visit with the Vols last month and walked away impressed from their 77-73 over the Wildcats.
“It was good to get back and see all of the guys," Phillips told Volquest. "I got to stay with the team pretty late and be in the locker room. Celebrated the win with them. It was huge. They were going crazy in the locker room. It was fun.
“I feel like I fit in very well being an athletic, mobile forward. I feel like I could really thrive in that system. You saw what they did with (John Fulkerson) at the end of the game. Went to him three straight possessions and he was really good. That’s the position I want to play. X’s and o’s wise, the spacing they give their guys to work with is awesome. Olivier (Nkamhoua), he’s another guy I think I’m similar to. Olivier and Fulky are two forwards that I think are similar to me.”
It wasn't just the basketball Tennessee played that impressed Phillips. The near-sellout crowd left just as big of an impression on the top 100 player from Jacksonville, Alabama.
“Dec. 22 and there’s no students on campus, and you have that crowd with a full student section," Phillips said. "That was wild and impressive. They really went crazy at the beginning of the game and to close the half when Tennessee went on its run. It was cool, especially since there was nobody on campus. That’s what was really impressive. Their fans love them so much.”
Phillips' official visit with the Vols last month was the weekend of Nov. 13 when Josh Heupel's team faced Georgia and Rick Barnes' club defeated ETSU. Phillips walked away from the weekend with an offer from Barnes and the Vols.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound athletic forward has also taken visits to Alabama and Georgia, but the Vols are the only school he has visited to this point in the midst of his junior season.
“The coaches were just as excited as the players in the locker room," Phillips said. "They were hugging the players and also were like, ‘see what we can do?’ They think I would fit perfect with them. They’re really trying to build a relationship with me and that’s something I really value. It was a great atmosphere and impressive win."
Tennessee, Stanford, Memphis, Alabama and Georgia are the teams he is currently hearing from the most.
Rivals' No. 60 overall player in the class of 2023 has extensive ties to the Crimson Tide.
His father, John David Phillips, played quarterback at Alabama, while his mother, Reagan Croyle Phillips, played basketball for the Crimson Tide. He’s also the nephew of former Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle. His grandfather, John Croyle, played for Bear Bryant.
Despite the ties, Phillips says that anybody who states he's automatically Alabama bound doesn't know him at all.
“I’ve heard it a lot, but I’m a very independent person," Phillips said. "My parents raised me to be true to myself and who God raised me to be. They’ve always preached it’s my decision and nothing to do with them or my legacy.
"It’s not the funnest thing to always hear because I’m trying to run my own race, but I’m not tied to anywhere. My parents went there, but that’s them, not me."
Tennessee doesn't currently have any commitments in the class of 2023. The Vols signed three big men — Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jonas Aidoo and Handje Tamba — in the class of 2021.
