Tennessee basketball’s Cade Phillips is going to undergoing left shoulder surgery which will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Phillips has battled the left shoulder injury since last season and re-aggravated it during summer practice.
Phillips tried to play through the pain this season before Tennessee decided it was best to shut him down for the year. Here’s what the injury means for Vol hoops.
More From RTI: Tennessee Forward Cade Phillips Having Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Tennessee Is More Equipped To Handle This Injury This Season
It was just over a year ago when Tennessee announced that JP Estrella was undergoing season-ending foot injury. It was a major blow to Tennessee’s roster and thin front court. Estrella’s injury meant that Felix Okpara and Phillips were the only true big men on the roster while Igor Milicic, Darlinstone Dubar and Jahmai Mashack handled minutes at the four-spot.
Tennessee is much more equipped to handle a front court injury this time around. The Vols still have Okpara, Estrella, Jaylen Carey and even true freshman DeWayne Brown who was the surprise of the offseason and looks like a true contributor for the Vols.
The area of concern is that Estrella has been banged up and missed multiple games this season. If Estrella misses any games moving forward, his absence will be more significant.
Jaylen Carey Has Played Great As Of Late
Phillips started at the four-spot in nine of Tennessee’s first 10 games this season. Carey will likely slide into the starting spot with Phillips sidelined. The good news is that Carey has played extremely well as of late.
In Tennessee’s first six games this season, Carey averaged 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Carey’s averaged 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in Tennessee’s last four games. The 6-foot-8 power forward has been a force inside for Tennessee as of late, giving the Vols’ an offensive and rebounding boost.
Consistency was the question for Carey last season at Vanderbilt. Tennessee needs him to be even more consistent this season.
Phillips’ Absence Could Expose A Defensive Limitation
Phillips’ strength is what he brings on the defensive end of the court and on the glass. The junior’s defensive versatility is what Tennessee could really miss.
The 6-foot-9 forward could defend on the perimeter much better than any other player in Tennessee’s front court. That won’t affect them every night. But games where opponents play four guards or have more athletic and versatile four men, Tennessee could have some issues defensively.
What this could lead to is Nate Ament playing minutes at the four-spot. Tennessee has not done that at all to this point in the season. Tennessee’s lack of quality depth in the backcourt will make it difficult for them to do it for an extended amount of time. However, they could do it in spurts and might have to against certain opponents.
