30p 3r 2a 1s vs SJC

-Probably the best that I have seen Rowan play as he showed out in front of a strong collection of D1 coaches in a primetime matchup with a deep wing defender group for St. John’s. Phillips collected a steal and threw down a 1-handed dunk in traffic, threw a dime to the shake shooter, came off an Iverson cut to knock down a fader from the elbow, ripped through from the wing to drive straight down the sideline into a 2-handed dunk , and threw a beautiful pocket pass to the roller for an easy deuce. Love the way that he sprinted ahead well throughout the game to serve as a kick-ahead target in transition and made good finishing decisions in traffic to maneuver through traffic or around helpers to score at the rim while he also earned several trips to the FT line. When he keeps the game simple as a slashing guard prospect that can knock down elbow jumpers off of movement to keep his defenders honest– he has a really high floor as a prospect.

Phillips accumulates points in a plethora of ways. He can finish above the rim and makes exclamation point dunks. His wiry arms congest driving and passing lanes and is able to secure turnover and potentially turn into points for his team. Like the way he is able to zig and zag his way through traffic in transition to get to the bucket.

The tandem of Phillips and Smith are a couple of reasons why Final should have a strong argument to be mentioned as contenders for the Peach Jam title. Standing 6-foot-6, he brings elite positional size that he uses to his advantage in finishing at or over the rim. He’s aggressive in exposing driving lanes, especially on the second-side swings where he meets the ball in flight and covers ground with his first step as the defense rotates. He can get to the cup from the perimeter in 1-to-2 strides with momentum, but also possesses the footwork and body control to finish at difficult angles. His team high 19PPG came on converting 51.4 percent of his looks inside the arc. His length was a factor defensively in passing lanes and both he and Smith were tremendous in quickly generating points off turnovers as the top guys in the zone.

23p 2r 1a vs Thrill

-Phillips has grown a bit over the past year and it has given him more confidence initiating contact on drives to the rim and has enabled him to be a much better finisher. Loved the growth as well as an off-ball cutter from the corners that can dive to the rim to finish alley-oop lobs or serve as a connector on the move as an offensive player that opposing defenses need to mark. Phillips scored off several extension layups after blowing by his matchup, drove straight down the gut off a side ball screen and punched a dunk home, threw a beautiful crosscourt 1-handed dime to the shooter, hit a turn-around jumper from the elbow, euro-stepped around a defender to avoid the charge and score at the rim, and cut to space to create release valves for teammates that picked up their dribble. A much more well-rounded approach should only increase his long-term value as a prospect.

Leading the charge throughout the night for Westtown, Phillips was consistently in attack mode on his way to a team-high 20 points. The nationally-regarded sophomore was aggressive looking to drive against the ANC zone, showing off his advanced footwork and dexterity around the rim in traffic. He was smooth getting on balance for his pullup and consistently made the right simple pass when help stepped up. On the other end, Phillips was consistently able to keep his chest in front of the ball and also picked up a dunk on a pick-six steal that earned the Moose their largest lead of the night. It was clear for anyone in attendance why Phillips is regarded among the very best prospects in the state.

Coming off a summer in which he led the 15U Nike circuit in scoring, Phillips has continued to establish himself as one of the more potent bucket-getters in the class. The Archbishop Wood (PA) transfer has consistently been among the leading scorers for a Westtown team that may be the best in the entire state. He’s physical and explosive attacking the rim both in the halfcourt and transition, with a polished midrange game and growing comfort as a shooter out to the arc. While certainly inclined to score, things look to be slowing down for him as a playmaker as well. It should only be a matter of time before high-majors have Phillips on their radar.

Among the more established scorers in his class nationally at this early stage, Phillips was up to his usual tricks on his way to an efficient 17 points despite Westtown’s championship loss at the buzzer. The jumbo guard shined with controlled aggression attacking downhill, rising up for multiple dunks in traffic and consistently drawing contact on his way to 11 free throw attempts. He showed improved poise as a decisionmaker once he drew extra defenders while also using his foot speed on the defensive end to cover ground and make plays in passing lanes. There aren’t many more effective downhill scorers in the class, with the rounding out of his floor game being a promising sign as it pertains to Phillips’ long-term development.

One of the more established scoring threats in his class across the country, Phillips is another prospect who’s more of a guard by nature but whose rapid physical growth looks to potentially be pushing him more toward the wing category. Now standing every bit of 6’6″ with budding strength and explosive athleticism to match, Phillips was impossible to stop getting downhill on Saturday, whether creating his own in the halfcourt or streaking out in transition, often finishing emphatically above the rim in either situation. We’ll be zeroing in on the continued growth of his perimeter stroke and floor game over the course of this winter at Westtown, but the early makings of a future high-major scorer all appear to be there in spades for the Archbishop Wood (PA) transfer.

20p 1r 2a 1s 8/11 FG Vs MSJ

-Phillips was a nice bright spot for Westtown in a close loss to MSJ. Thought that he really stood out as a slasher that made quick decisions to attack the rim on several rip n go’s from the wing. Phillips also saw the floor well throughout the contest, finding a corner shooter in transition as well as a great drive and shovel pass to his big for an easy dunk in the halfcourt. Phillips has nice positional size for such a young player and plays with an explosive change of pace and burst, getting downhill in a hurry against a variety of different defenders. Phillips pull-up jumper from the elbows and wings off the bounce should serve as a great balance for his driving ability to make the defense have to make a decision about what they are going to try and take away each game.

Named MVP of the White Team… Phillips is such a malleable, low-maintenance player that he’s capable of producing in all types of roles. He can dictate the offense as a primary creator, operate as a connecting piece, or operate without the ball. Phillips didn’t show any weaknesses in his game. Also played in the 2027 game when a couple of the players didn’t show. He’s a knockdown shooter who consistently hits jumpers off the catch. He’s comfortable attacking closeouts or generating openings for others. Phillips is a useful self-creator who doesn’t look to dominate the ball or do too much. Although he’s an efficient scoring option and willing playmaker, he also impacts the game as a defender and rebounder. Phillips can comfortably defend two or three positions, secure rebounds well for his size, and push the break effectively in transition. Given his high-floor/high-ceiling type of identity, it’s extremely difficult to envision a scenario where Phillips isn’t a impactful prospects for the next three years of High School basketball.