Tennessee
Cade Phillips is a star role player for Tennessee basketball. How he’s affecting the Vols
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.
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.”
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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The first measles case of 2025 has been confirmed in the state, and it’s in Middle Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Health officials said the infected person is recovering in their home, while doctors and people worry about the viral infection spreading.
The measles is an infection some people said they weren’t too surprise was spreading, Breanna Thomas said she almost expected it.
“I’m going to be honest I wasn’t too shocked because a lot of mothers and fathers are very hesitant to vaccinate their children,” Thomas said.
Doctor Joseph Gigante with the Monroe Carole Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt said the spread of measles seemed to be moving fast.
“Unfortunately, the most recent outbreak that started in west Texas has now spread,” Dr. Gigante said.
The Tennessee Department of Health announced a measles case was found in Middle Tennessee in March on Friday.
“This is where you get really worried and really concerned,” Dr. Gigante said.
Tennessee health officials said measles is highly infectious. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes.
Officials said the person in Middle Tennessee was infected in early March, but they’re investigating to find out where or how they got the virus.
“It’s a tragedy, but it’s so easy to prevent measles. The best thing parents could do is to vaccinate your child,” Dr. Gigante said.
Doctors said watch out for symptoms of small bumps, high fever, cough and a runny noise. Measles can also be fatal.
“There could definitely be a mini epidemic here in Tennessee for sure,” Thomas said.
The department reports that there’s an active national measles outbreak with over 300 cases in 11 states, including two deaths.
“I would hope that the cases are quarantined very well and even put in isolation rooms if they do have to go unfortunately to the hospital,” Thomas said.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
UCLA vs. Tennessee Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness Round 2
The UCLA Bruins (23-10) take the court against the Tennessee Volunteers (28-7) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Lexington, KY.
UCLA thumped Utah State, 72-47, on Thursday in the first round. Eric Dailey, Jr. and Skyy Clark paced the Bruins’ attack with 14 points apiece. UCLA was 10-24 from beyond the arc (41.7%).
Tennessee advanced to Saturday’s second round with a decisive victory of their own, dominating Wofford, 77-62. Chaz Lanier had 29 for the Vols in the win and the Tennessee defense allowed Wofford a mere 27 first half points.
The winner of this game earns a ticket to the Sweet 16.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch UCLA vs. Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 9:40PM EST
- Site: Rupp Arena
- City: Lexington, KY
- Network/Streaming: TBS / truTV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for UCLA vs. Tennessee
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: UCLA Bruins (+170), Tennessee Volunteers (-210)
- Spread: Volunteers -4.5
- Total: 132.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for UCLA vs. Tennessee
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Bruins & Volunteers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Tennessee -4.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 132.5.
UCLA vs. Tennessee: Top betting trends and recent stats
- UCLA has covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 games
- UCLA Game Totals have cashed to the OVER in 3 of their last 4 games
- Tennessee did not cover as 18.5-point favorites against Wofford
- Tennessee is now 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
- The OVER has cashed in 5 of Tennessee’s last 6 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
LEXINGTON, Ky. − Tennessee basketball and UCLA are playing for a spot in the Sweet 16.
The No. 2 seed Vols (27-8) face the No. 10 seed Bruins (23-10) at 9:40 p.m. ET on Saturday on TNT/TruTV at Rupp Arena.
Tennessee advanced with a 77-62 win against No. 15 Wofford on Thursday then the Bruins walloped No. 10 Utah State 72-47. UT is playing for its third straight trip to the Sweet 16 under coach Rick Barnes, including last season’s Elite Eight berth. It also went to the Sweet 16 in 2019.
How Tennessee basketball advanced in the NCAA Tournament
Chaz Lanier starred in his first NCAA Tournament game. He scored 29 points, which is the third-most in an NCAA Tournament game UT history. He hit six 3-pointers, which matched Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi and Chris Lofton for the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a Vol.
Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and 12 assists. He broke Johnny Darden’s career assists record with his second assist against Wofford.
Jahmai Mashack had nine points and seven rebounds.
How UCLA advanced in the NCAA Tournament to face Tennessee
The Bruins easily handed Utah State in the nightcap Thursday. Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. had 14 points each. Kobe Johnson had eight points and eight rebounds.
UCLA limited the Aggies to 4-for-31 3-point shooting, while hitting 10-for-24.
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.
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