Tennessee is losing former five-star forward Julian Phillips

Julian Phillips will reportedly no longer be a member of the Tennessee Volunteers. 

This, according to a report from ESPN, which cites sources saying that the former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American is planning on entering the transfer portal.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Phillips was part of the 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 assists for the Vols this past season. Notably, he did enter his name into the NBA draft and was invited to the draft combine, but he's keeping his options and his eligibility open in more ways than one.

He has until May 31 to withdraw his name from the draft and he had until this Thursday to enter the transfer portal. He hasn't officially withdrawn from the NBA Draft yet, but the fact that he's looking for a new college for his sophomore season would suggest that he's probably going to end up coming back to the college ranks rather than going pro. 

For what it's worth, another season of seasoning could be good for Phillips. It could be said that he underachieved as a freshman compared to his recruiting rankings.

According to 247Sports, he was the 15th-ranked hooper in the 2022 recruiting class.