Julian Phillips

Wheat Hotchkiss

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Colby Jones One-on-One Interview (June 13, 2023)

Height: 6-6Weight: 200Position: GCollege: XavierAge: 21

2022-23 Season StatsPPG: 15.0RPG: 5.7APG: 4.4BLK: 0.6STL: 1.3

2022-23Selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the league coaches and by the Associated Press ... NABC All-District 5 Second Team ... Second on the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg. (11th in the BIG EAST) and rebounds (17th in the BIG EAST at 5.7 rpg.) ... Led the team in assists at 4.4 apg. (seventh in the BIG EAST) ... Contributed 10 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists in the win over Pittsburgh on March 19 ... Named to the All-BIG EAST Tournament team after averaging 14.3 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. for XU's three games ... Posted a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) vs. Creighton on March 10 ... Joined the Xavier 1,000 Point Club during his 22-point game (18 in the second half) vs. DePaul in the BIG EAST Tournament on March 9 ... 32 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 29 points on 10-11 shooting (3-3 from 3-point territory) at Providence on March 1 ... 19 points at Seton Hall on Feb. 24, 20 vs. Providence on Feb. 1, 20 at UConn on Jan. 25 and 20 on 8-11 shooting on Jan. 21 vs. Georgetown.

PLENTY OF HONORS FOR 2022-23 SEASONAll-BIG EAST Second Team ... Made the late season Julius Erving Award Top 10 Candidate List ... BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week on March 5, the third time this season that Jones has earned a weekly award, having twice been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll ... Won the honor after averaging 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in wins at Providence on March 1 and vs. Butler on March 4, while shooting an incredible 85.7 percent (18-21) from the field ... On the BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll on Jan. 30 after averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals for games at UConn on Jan. 25 and at Creighton on Jan. 28; also earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll this season on Nov. 28 after averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game vs. Florida, Duke and Gonzaga at the Phil Knight Legacy Nov. 24-27; shot .900 (9-10) from 3-point for the tournament ... 22 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists vs. Gonzaga on Nov. 27 ... 22 points on the strength of a career-high four 3-pointers vs. Florida on Nov. 24; hit 8-12 from the field, including 4-5 3-pointers ... 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks vs. Indiana on Nov. 18 ... 15 points and a career-high nine assists vs. Morgan State on Nov. 7.2021-22 ... NIT MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYERNamed NIT Most Outstanding Player after averaging a team-high 14.8 ppg. to go with 6.0 rpg. for XU's five NIT wins, incluidng a team-high and career-high 21 points on 9-13 shooting in the championship game win over Texas A&M on March 31&nbsp; ... Second on the team and 11th in the BIG EAST in rebounding at 7.3 rpg. ... Ninth in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding (2.4 rpg.) ... Third on the team in scoring at 11.6 ppg. and second in assists (13th in the BIG EAST) at 3.2 apg., including 4.1 apg. over the last 13 games ... Six assists in the&nbsp;UConn win on Feb. 11 ... Averaged 14.7 ppg. over the last 11 games while recording 11 straight double-figure scoring efforts ... Leads the team in steals at 1.5 spg. (seventh in the BIG EAST), including a career-high tying four at Seton Hall on Feb. 9 and vs. Florida on March 20 ... Showed his versatility with 16 points, six rebounds, a career-high tying seven assists, two blocks and two steals in the March 5 win over Georgetown and 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists vs. St. Bonaventure on March 29 ... Had at least 12 rebounds in five games: 12 vs. Providence on Jan. 26 and 12 at Oklahoma State on Dec. 5, 12 vs. Iowa State on Nov. 24, a career-high 13 vs. Norfolk State on Nov. 21 and 12 vs. Ohio State on Nov. 18 ... Leads the team in double-figure rebounding games (8) and tied for the team lead in double-doubles (5), including a career-high tying 20 points on 8-10 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and four assists vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 26 and his 14-point, 11-rebound game at Providence on Feb. 23 ... 17 points (12 in the second half) and 12 rebounds to go with four assists and three steals in the win at Oklahoma State on Dec. 5 ... 19 points and eight rebounds in the Kent State win on Nov. 12 ... BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll on Jan. 17 for his efforts in games vs. Villanova on Jan. 12 and Creighton on Jan. 15; Averaged 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals for the week ...&nbsp; Led XU with 16 points to go with nine rebounds in the Creighton win on Jan. 15, the eighth different XU player to lead the team in scoring this season.BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM HONORS (2020-21)Selected to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team by the league coaches ... Joins an impressive list of Musketeers who have earned BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors, including sophomore teammates&nbsp;Zach&nbsp;Freemantle&nbsp;(2020) and&nbsp;KyKy Tandy&nbsp;(2020)as well as&nbsp;Naji Marshall&nbsp;(2018),&nbsp;Edmond Sumner&nbsp;(2016) and&nbsp;Trevon Bluiett&nbsp;(2015).

FRESH START AT XAVIER (2020-21)&nbsp;Started the last six games and 11 games overall ... Just missed a double-double in his first career BIG EAST Tournament game, contributing 10 points and nine rebounds to go with four assists vs. Butler on March 10 ... Had 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists at Georgetown on March 2 ...&nbsp;Against Butler on Feb. 21 he contributed career highs of 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals to go with 13 points ... Played in 15 games, starting 11 times, while averaging 7.7 ppg. (fourth on the team), 4.8 rpg. (third on the team), 2.9 apg. (third on the team) and 1.3 spg. (second on the team) in 27.7 minutes per game.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS TWICE AS A FRESHMANNamed BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Week on Feb. 22 (second time this season for this award) ... Averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals for Xavier’s two games that week, while shooting 64.7 percent from the field ... Scored a career-high 20 points at St. John’s on Jan. 16 on 6-9 shooting to go with six rebounds and posted career highs of 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in the Butler win on Feb. 21 to go with his 13 points ... Named BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Week on Jan. 11 after averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals for Xavier wins over St. John’s on Jan. 6 and Providence on Jan. 10; Hit the game-winning 3-pointer vs. Providence with 0.1 seconds left ... Jones, who shot 62.5 percent (10-16) from the field for the week, scored a career-high and Xavier game-high 16 points in the St. John’s win on Jan. 6.HIGHLY RANKEDEarned a 4-star ranking from Rivals ... Checked in at No. 131 respectively in the 247sports prospect rankings.AT MOUNTAIN BROOK HIGH SCHOOL2020 Alabama Class 7A Player of the Year as selected by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, leading his squad to a 32-3 record and the finals of the Alabama Class 7A State Championship ... Averaged 25.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 2.5 spg. as a senior, while shooting 59.2 percent from the field, including 48.8 percent from 3-point range ... 2020 Super All-State Team, a.k.a. one of the top five players in the state ... 2020 All-South Metro Player of the Year ... 2020&nbsp;Over the Mountain Journal&nbsp;Player of the Year ... 2020 Class 7A First Team All-State selection .... Captured MVP honors of two prestigious in-season tournaments as a senior, while helping Mountain Brook win both the Arby’s Classic and the Kreul Classic ... 2019 Class 7A Third Team All-State selection as a junior, averaged 14 ppg., 5.0 rpg. and 3.0 apg. while leading Mountain Brook High School to the 2019 Alabama Class 7A State Championship ... 2019 EYBL Breakout Player of the Year ... Earned 2018 Class 6A Second Team All-State and 2018 Second Team All-Birmingham honors as a sophomore ... Basketball coach: Bucky McMillan, who is now the head coach at Samford.PERSONALFull name is Colby Everette Jones ... Nicknamed Colb or Colby Cheese ... Entrepreneurial studies major ... Parents are Lesley Bryant and Chad Jones ... Dad played basketball at UAB ... Siblings are Marcus, Cairon, Trent and Christian ... Cairon (C.J.) played basketball at Arkansas and Middle Tennessee State before turning pro ... Born May 28, 2002 in Birmingham, Ala.

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Colby Jones: 2023 Draft Prospect

In many ways, Oscar Tshiebwe is one of the most fascinating prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Tshiebwe was a dominant force in college, a two-time All-American at Kentucky and the unanimous National Player of the Year in 2021-22. But like many star big men moving from college to the more perimeter-oriented NBA, there are questions about how well his game translates to the next level.

Those questions are legitimate, but what makes Tshiebwe's case all the more interesting is that he does one skill at an elite level: rebound.

It is not hyperbolic to call Tshiebwe one of the best rebounders in modern college basketball history.

He led the country in rebounding each of the past two seasons. He pulled down 15.1 rebounds per game as a junior, a full 1.5 rebounds more per game than the next-closest player. He was the first Division I player to average 15 points and 15 rebounds in a season since 1979-80. He had eight 20-rebound games in two years at Kentucky and set a school record with 25 boards in an NCAA Tournament win over Providence this March, the most by any player in the tournament since 1977.

Tshiebwe doesn't tower over opponents. He measured at a little over 6-7 at the NBA Draft Combine without shoes. But his strong frame (253 pounds), a wingspan over 7-3, and a true knack for the ball combined to make him nearly impossible to keep off the glass in college.

"It's not magic," Tshiebwe said following Monday's pre-draft workout with the Pacers. "It's just number one you've got to be the (player) who really wants the ball (more) than everybody. Number two, it's effort. And three, you've just got to position in a place where you don't need to jump, the ball's going to find you...Even if you're going against 7 (footers), against 7-5, I know when the ball's coming, it's going to be in my hands."

Tshiebwe, who said she studies tape of Dennis Rodman, figures to continue to be able to rebound at a high level in the NBA.

The question then becomes what else is he able to do and does it add up to enough  to overcome his shortcomings. While his physicality and dominance on the boards allowed Tshiebwe to put up points in college (17.4 points per game on 60.6 percent shooting as a junior and 16.5 points on 56 percent shooting as a senior), he won't be posting up in the NBA game, which is built more around pace and spacing.

Tshiebwe isn't the fastest and not threat from the perimeter, though he's working on the latter. After attempting just one 3-pointer over his four years in college, he said on Monday that he has developed his jumper to the point that he feels comfortable from 15-18 feet and is even starting to knock down threes with some regularity.

Defensively, Tshiebwe was able to use his wingspan effectively, averaging 1.3 blocks and 1.7 steals during his time at Kentucky. But he still would be undersized against most NBA centers and his lack of quickness would make it a challenge for him to switch onto smaller players.

But Tshiebwe is still putting in the work and hoping to show improvement in those areas. In fact, Tshiebwe said he has been treating pre-draft workouts like classes, with each team's coaching staff serving as a different guest instructor.

"I'm going to keep learning," he said. "This process has helped me a lot because every team I've been through, they're teaching me a lot of different things. I'm writing down, writing down, writing down. And I'm getting better."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Oscar Tshiebwe One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

Tshiebwe began his college career at West Virginia, where he nearly averaged a double-double as a freshman, before electing to transfer to Kentucky midway through his sophomore season. After two dominant years in Lexington, he now has a vocal advocate in Kentucky coach John Calipari.

"It was one of my dream schools," Tshiebwe said. "I wanted to play for Coach Calipari because Coach Calipari is an NBA producer who is producing a lot of kids going to the NBA. I'm very honored and I'm very grateful to be able to play for Coach Calipari at Kentucky. Kentucky has helped me a lot. People don't even know how much Kentucky has helped me in this journey.

"Coach Calipari is talking to all these teams, 'Y'all got to get Oscar, y'all got to get Oscar, y'all got to get Oscar. That kid works harder than anybody else. That kid will do (more) extra things than anybody else.'"

While Kentucky has produced more NBA draft picks than any other school over the past decade-plus, the Wildcats' former National Player of the Year doesn't find his name on most draft boards. Still, he is holding out hope that someone -- perhaps the Pacers, who ranked 24th in the league in rebounding last season -- will have a need for his particular skillset.

"I believe there will be a team that is going to really need me (to) help them," Tshiebwe said. "...I fight for rebounds, I outrun everybody, I fight for position to help my team win."

Tshiebwe has already had quite the journey. Growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he never played basketball until he was a teenager. He came over the United States for high school and grew into one of the best players in all of college basketball. Reaching the NBA would be another significant chapter in his most uncommon story.

"Even if my name (isn't) called, I will still trust God because I know he's going to have better plans," Tshiebwe said. "I believe I'll be in the NBA and I'll help a team to win a championship one day."

Athletic One-and-Done Wing Phillips Offers Defense, Versatility

Of the six prospects to work out for the Pacers on Monday, the one most likely to be drafted first is Julian Phillips, a 19-year-old forward who turned pro after one season at Tennessee.

While with the Vols, Phillips established himself as one of the best wing defenders in this draft class, earning minutes on a veteran-laden team that had the number one defense in the country, according to KenPom.

At 6-8 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, Phillips possesses the length and instincts to guard multiple positions, an always-coveted skillset.

Phillips was named to the SEC's All-Freshman team in his lone season in Knoxville, where he averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, but saw his minutes and offensive impact fluctuate significantly from game to game.

He had some impressive showings, like when he dropped 25 points and eight rebounds while getting to the free throw line 12 times in a November preseason tournament game against USC or his 18-point, 11-rebound double-double at Mississippi State on Jan. 17.

But at other times, Phillips struggled to get on the court on a roster that featured several upperclassmen. He scored just five total points in three NCAA Tournament games, going scoreless in just 12 minutes in a season-ending loss to Florida Atlantic in the Sweet Sixteen.

After the season, Phillips decided to test the draft waters, but ultimately opted to stay in the draft after turning heads in pre-draft testing at the combine, where he led all participants with a 43-inch vertical.

"Got some positive feedback from the combine," Phillips said. "I had two previous workouts before the combine that went really good for me. I kind of put all those things into it. And ultimately my dream and my goal is to be an NBA player."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Julian Phillips One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

Given his role in college, Phillips is the type of player who can show more to teams in the pre-draft process. He attempted just six shots per game at Tennessee, but is former five-star recruit capable of doing more defensively.

Phillips shot just 23.9 percent from 3-point range in college, but that came on a limited sample size of 46 attempts. His strong free throw percentage (.822) suggests he has better outside shooter than he showed in college.

After Monday's workout, Phillips spent some time discussing his shooting stroke with Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who offered him some pointers.

"It meant a lot to me," Phillips said. "Just picking his brain, kind of seeing what he's seeing. Taking the things that he's seen over the course of his career."

The three guards at Monday's workout -- Texas' Marcus Carr, Memphis' Kendric Davis, and USC's Drew Peterson -- all had lengthy and prolific college tenures. Each played five seasons at college and transferred at least once. In total, the three players combined for over 6,300 points while suiting up for seven different schools.

Carr, a 6-2 guard from Toronto, led the way with 2,350 points across stints at Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Texas. He finished his collegiate career as the highest-scoring Canadian-born player in NCAA history.

After a freshman year at Pitt where he averaged 10 points and 4 assists, Carr transferred to Minnesota, where he sat out the 2019-20 season. He starred for the Golden Gophers over the next two years and was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2020-21, when he averaged 19.4 points, 4.9 assists, and 4 rebounds.

But after Minnesota fired head coach Richard Pitino, Carr transferred once more, this time to Texas. He continued to be a productive player with the Longhorns and averaged 15.9 points and 4.1 assists last year in his final college season.

Carr closed his career with a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament, where he helped lead Texas to the Elite Eight. He tallied 18 points and six assists in a Sweet Sixteen victory over Xavier.

Though he turned 24 last week, Carr believes his wealth of experience at the college level makes him ready to contribute right away to an NBA team.

"I feel like my ability to adapt, play under any coaching style, playing with a lot of different guys and being able to excel in different environments has definitely prepared me for this next step," he said.

Carr is a childhood friend of Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard. They played together when they first started organized basketball, were teammates on Canada's youth national teams, and even attended the same prep school (Monteverde Academy in Florida).

They faced off once in college in November 2021, with Nembhard's Gonzaga getting the best of Carr's Longhorns. This year, Carr actually surpassed Nembhard for most assists by a Canadian in Division I.

Carr had a chance to catch up with his friend on Monday, as Nembhard is in Indianapolis taking part in offseason workouts.

"Super happy for him, super grateful to see the things that he's doing," Carr said of Nembhard's successful rookie season in Indiana.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Marcus Carr One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

While Carr scored more points than him in college, Davis actually has a reputation as a more prolific scorer.

His career got off to a slower start in 2018-19 at TCU -- where he started just two of 37 games and averaged 6.3 points -- but really took off once he transferred to SMU. Davis averaged 14.2, 19, and 19.4 points over his next three seasons and was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2021-22.

He elected to transfer within his conference for his final year of eligibility, playing for Memphis last year, where he played for four-time All-Star Penny Hardaway. It was a smooth transition, as Davis finished eighth in the country in scoring at 21.9 points per game and was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.

Davis was also named MVP of the AAC tournament after dropping 31 points to help the Tigers knock off top-seeded Houston in the championship game.

He's not only a scorer, though. Davis ranked in the top 10 in the country in assists twice in his college career.

There are no questions about what Davis can do offensively. But considering he is just over 5-10 without shoes, teams do have questions about how he can fit in on the other side of the ball.

"Offensively, it will take care of itself," Davis said. "I've kind of got that figured out. It's defensively. Getting through screens, not getting screened, staying in front of the ball. Just not being a liability just because guys are all going to be bigger. Using my speed, my hands, my quickness to my advantage and just staying after it and grinding."

Because of his size and age (he also turned 24 in the last month), Davis has had his doubters in the pre-draft process, but he's determined to prove them wrong. He initially went to the Portsmouth Invitational, where he helped his team win a title. He then wasn't initially invited to the combine, but earned an invite after a strong showing at the G League Elite Camp.

"Just knowing that I'm better than most of the guys that's already there," Davis said of his attitude. "You watch the dudes that get the invite to the combine, I'm like, 'Man, I torched him for years or I got the best of him for three years.' Just showing that. I knew.

"Starting at Portsmouth, me and my agent said, 'You'll be in the combine.' The work never fails. I just worked and when I got my opportunity, I was able to capitalize."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Kendric Davis One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

At 6-9, Peterson is a much bigger guard than Davis or Carr. The Chicago suburbs native spent two seasons at Rice, where he became the first player in school history to accumulate 300 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists in a single season in 2019-20.

He then transferred to USC, where he was a key contributor to three straight NCAA Tournament teams. Peterson started 97 games over his three years in Los Angeles, helping lead the Trojans to 73 wins.

Peterson was named to the Pac-12's first team all-conference in 2022-23, when he averaged 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He shot 38.4 percent from 3-point range over his three years at USC.

"I can play a little bit of everything," Peterson said. "I'm trying to be a connector piece. Pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. I think I can be a good plug-in guy and make a high impact at the next level."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Drew Peterson One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

The final prospect at Monday's workout was Zvonomir Ivisic. A 7-2 center from Croatia, the 19-year-old Ivisic offers intrigue because of his ability to step out and knock down 3-pointers.

Ivisic recently turned heads with his performance in an Adriatic League playoff game, where he tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks.

He said that Kevin Durant is his favorite player and he hopes to impress NBA teams with a similar style of game.

"I just want to show that with my size, I can run, I can jump, I can play defense even though I'm huge," Ivisic said.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Zvonomir Ivisic One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

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Tshiebwe Hoping Rebounding Prowess Can Secure Spot in the NBA

Tennessee forward Julian Phillips sits down to discuss his strengths as a defender and his versatile game. Pacers draft coverage is presented by NerdWallet.

Tennessee forward Julian Phillips spoke to media following his pre-draft workout on Monday.

Julian Phillips

Colby Jones: 2023 Draft Prospect

Tshiebwe Hoping Rebounding Prowess Can Secure Spot in the NBA

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Julian Phillips One-on-One Interview (June 12, 2023)

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Julian Phillips Media Availability (June 12, 2023)

Julian Phillips: 2023 Draft Prospect