Cade Phillips was 40 feet away from the rim when he pointed at it Tuesday.

The Tennessee basketball forward saw what was going to happen when he was still a long ways off. Guard Zakai Zeigler had the ball on the opposite wing when Phillips pointed. He held his left arm high as Zeigler then tossed a lob from the elbow.

Phillips sailed, snared it with two hands and slammed it. The sophomore played it perfectly — just as he has been doing often this season in his increasingly essential role.

“When Cade checks in, it is just like a boost of energy,” senior guard Chaz Lanier said. “He is super athletic — probably one of the most athletic people I have played with. Just a boost of energy and intensity.”

Phillips is a star as a role player for Tennessee, which was on full display again for No. 3 Tennessee (8-0) as it smashed Syracuse (4-3) by a score of 96-70 on Tuesday at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

How Cade Phillips is starring in his role for Tennessee

Phillips can define the core of his role well.

“I think is is to be as versatile on both ends of the floor as possible,” Phillips said.

There is something to be said for a player who knows his role. There is even more to be said for a player who does it well. Phillips deserves recognition for both during Tennessee’s torrid eight-game start to the season.

“The more and more he is out there … he is feeling more and more at ease doing some things,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said.

BACKGROUND: Blacktop basketball and big perspective: Inside Cade Phillips’ unique childhood

Offensively, Phillips maximizes who he is as a 6-foot-9 forward. He runs and cuts hard. He is strong enough now to bump defenders with a hard dribble and score through contact — he did both in his 10-point first half Tuesday. He’s a solid floor-spacer.

On the other end, the Alabama native is a potentially diabolical defender. Barnes has voiced the Vols view Phillips as a Jahmai Mashack-caliber player. In other words, Phillips can guard all five positions on the court but as a forward. That ability comes from athleticism and length.

He rebounds ferociously on both ends and it is an innate skill for him.

But it all comes back to versatility.

“As the season is progressing, I am getting more and more comfortable I feel like,” Phillips said.

What is next for Cade Phillips?

Phillips wasn’t supposed to play last season. He was going to redshirt then the senior pair of Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James insisted Phillips would help the Vols. He did early as a freshman then his role diminished later in the season.

Vescovi’s reasoning was Phillips was so active he could play immediately. That is what earned Phillips trust. That remains part of the process.

“It gets down to the more consistency you get doing certain things, you earn trust,” Barnes said. “Not only I think with your coaches and your teammates, but most importantly with yourself. You realize I have this down now and I can take another step. 

“We have watched Cade do that.”

BARNES: Tennessee basketball off to best start under Rick Barnes, reaches 8-0 with Syracuse win

Phillips is averaging 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game, a stellar stat line as he splits time between UT’s two forward positions. He is tied for the team lead with 20 offensive rebounds, which is more than his 18 defensive rebounds. He has nine blocks and only nine fouls, a great ratio to possess. 

Barnes expects that an expanded offensive game is out there for Phillips. That’ll be a process. The immediate focus is handling success well as it keeps coming.

“Cade is going to do everything he can,” Barnes said. “He has got a little bit of a stubborn streak where when he messes up, he wants to come back and fix it right away.”

On second thought, it’s something else — and something central to Phillips perfecting his role as he develops.

“It is probably more of a competitive spirit,” Barnes.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.