Barnes on Shembarri Phillips/Lamonte Turner's progression

[iKrager]

Good read by UT Sports

I didn't post the entire thing, please go here if you would like to read the rest:
Notebook: Phillips Flashes Forward - University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Shembari Phillips has begun to show the flashes of the player that Rick Barnes wants the talented freshman to become.

Phillips scored 12 points in a season-high 23 minutes Saturday night against Arkansas, the third-straight game in which Phillips has seen double-digit minutes. His impact on the game is growing as his time on the court expands.

"I think the game is slowly slowing down for him (Shembarri) a little bit," Barnes said Monday. "I think he's starting to see it different, where he doesn't have to do something every time he gets the ball.

The three-game stretch began at TCU, where Phillips scored six points, but also had five rebounds and a steal. He scored five points with a pair of defensive rebounds in Tennessee's comeback win over Kentucky on Tuesday.

The story that the stat sheet does not tell right away is the impact that Phillips has had on the defensive end.

"We've always thought he could be a defender," Barnes said. "He's done a pretty good job guarding the ball. He would tell you that he's still working to be a better defensive player away from the ball, where he doesn't ball watch."

Phillips has worked tirelessly on his game, following the example of senior Kevin Punter Jr. and working with fellow freshman guard Lamonté Turner, who is redshirting this season. Working the way he does, Barnes sees no limit to how good of a player Phillips can develop into.

"His ceiling will be his commitment to it, how much he wants to grow," said Barnes. "He's had a great example in Kevin Punter. They all have. He's got a great example in Lamonté Turner. The ceiling will depend on his commitment to a great work ethic when the season's over. This time of year, they're going to do what they need to be doing. It's when the season's over and they'll have a little more time, the guys that have that high ceiling are the ones that are going to utilize that time to get in the gym.

Phillips has quickly become one of my favorite players to watch. He's confident in himself, but still is a freshmen. I've always thought he had a high ceiling and that he could be a really solid player if he put the work in. Glad me and Barnes are on the same page

 

[cwbytruckers]

I wish Punter was a Junior. With Turner next year and hopefully a big transfer we could have been looking at a 17 to 20 win season. With out Punter players like Phillips and Mostella have to hit the gym hard this summer working to pick up the slack of points lost when Punter graduates.

 

[Special Ed]

I'm not in favor of lavishing praise on individual players when the team can't seem to win a single road game.

 

[kamoshika]

Barnes said Turner has been a “big help” for Punter on both ends of the floor during the senior transition to makeshift point guard. The freshman is like a gnat swirling around Punter’s ear on a daily basis, and the senior has said several times that he’ll always be grateful for that.

“I think he’s helped us this year,” Barnes said. “I think he’s helped Kevin a lot in practice, Kevin having to guard him. Obviously Lamonte is also learning our system, which is gonna help him going forward. He’s gonna be a terrific player. I don’t think there’s any question that when you work as hard as he works, (you’ll be successful). He’s a guy that loves being in there. He really wants to be coached. He’s one of those guys that you love. When you tell him to do something and you walk out of the gym, he's still gonna do when you tell him.
Tennessee Vols' Lamonte Turner making most of forced redshirt