Texas Basketball: 3 top priority transfer targets upon portal closing

Julian Phillips, F

The most intriguing new portal entrant that Terry and the Longhorns have interest in upon the transfer window closing this week is the former Tennessee Volunteers standout freshman forward Julian Phillips. The lengthy and gifted 6-foot-8 and 200-pound South Carolina native forward entered his name in the portal on May 11, with a host of schools showing interest right away.

Phillips is one of the best young players available in the transfer portal at the moment, and he could fill one of the needs that the Longhorns are seeking in the portal. Texas is looking to add forward depth that could play on the wing or at the four. Phillips just so happens to be a promising player with multiple years of eligibility remaining that is solid on both ends of the floor, that can also play at any forward spot.

Talent also isn’t a question with Phillips, as he was one of the highest-rated recruits in the 2022 class from the high school ranks. He ranked among the top 15 high school recruits in the nation in the 2022 class in the 247Sports Composite.

In terms of the fit with the current personnel, I think Phillips would be an immediate candidate to start at the three. Texas still has a need to find a starting-caliber wing, and Phillips could give them that for multiple years into the future.

It appears that Texas sits among a handful of top schools that Phillips is considering in this portal recruitment as of the writing of this article on May 11.

We’ll have more information regarding what schools Phillips is realistically considering, and which ones he’ll ultimately visit in the near future. For now, though, it looks as if Texas is one of the schools that has a legitimate shot in the race to land a commitment out of the portal from Phillips.