Tennessee Basketball: Rick Barnes updates the status of Josiah-Jordan James, Julian Phillips
The status of Julian Phillips and Josiah-Jordan James for No. 10 Tennessee’s game against No. 1 Alabama will be decided Wednesday. Neither player practiced on Monday afternoon but worked through individual drills on the side.
James missed the 86-85 loss to Missouri on Saturday night with a sprained left ankle. Phillips didn’t play in the second half due to a hip flexor injury he suffered in practice on Friday.
“It will be (a) game-day (decision),” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said before practice Monday at Thompson-Boling Arena. “We won’t do much with either of them today, obviously. Let them try to get as healed as they possibly can. If not, whatever we have, we’ve got to go play.”
Tennessee (19-6, 8-4 SEC), coming off back-to-back losses at Vanderbilt and at home against Missouri, hosts top-ranked Alabama (22-3, 12-0) in a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start inside a sold-out and checkerboard Thompson-Boling. The game can be seen on ESPN2.
Vols made comeback attempt despite missing both players in second half against Missouri
James injured his left ankle with 17 seconds left in the 66-65 loss at Vanderbilt Wednesday at Memorial Gymnasium. He was helped off the floor by senior forward Uros Plavsic and team trainer Chad Newman, putting no weight on his left leg.
He was walking around without a noticeable limp or walking boot on Friday. He didn’t dress for Saturday’s game.
Phillips had four points and two rebounds in the first half against Missouri before being held out the rest of the game.
“I was really impressed with Julian,” Barnes said on Monday. “He was hurt, he had hurt his hip flexor prior to that. His minutes, he was there, he was productive. But I could tell when we were walking off the court at halftime he was painfully hurting. But he wanted to play, but just no way.”
Tennessee was down 17 points with 17 minutes left Saturday against Mizzou, but rallied and built as much as a six-point lead before the Tigers came back to win on a long, desperation three as time expired.
The Vols came back thanks to Tyreke Key leading a four-guard lineup and scoring a season high 23 points, with 21 coming in the second half. He was 5-for-7 from the 3-point line and 6-for-6 at the foul line.
Up Next: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Alabama, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
James is averaging 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from the 3-point line. He’s started eight times in 16 games, averaging 23.9 minutes per game. He missed eight games earlier this season due to knee soreness.
Phillips averages 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game this season, starting all 25 games so far.
With both players out in the second half against Missouri, sophomore wing Jahmai Mashack played 21 minutes, his most since December 7, when he got 28 minutes against Eastern Kentucky.
“When someone goes down,” Barnes said, “it gives someone the chance to play and they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t good players. It will give them the opportunity to see what they can do.”
