While Terrence Phillips committed to the Missouri basketball program on January 3rd, he made it official Wednesday by signing his letter of intent. Phillips joins Kevin Puryear and Cullen Vanleer in the current 2015 class.
Phillips, the brother of current Detroit Pistons’ point guard Brandon Jennings, was largely overlooked in the recruiting process. Kim Anderson hopes that he found a hidden gem in Phillips, as he is the ultimate facilitator.
Standing only at 5-foot-9, Phillips may appear small on the basketball court, but he came up very big for Oak Hill Academy this past year.
The loaded Warriors were ranked No. 1 in the country for a while and made it all the way to the finals of the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, before falling to No. 1 ranked player in the country Ben Simmons and Montverde Academy.
Jan 7, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Pistons defeated the Mavericks 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
He had 417 assists this past year, which is an Oak Hill record. He has surpassed NBA studs like his brother, Steve Blake, Ty Lawson, and Rajon Rondo in the assist category under legendary head coach Steve Smith.
Phillips frequently takes to Twitter to brag about how many assists he gets. He even made his Twitter handle @FloorGeneral03. While he may have to change it to ’01’ because he will wear No. 1 next season, there’s something to be said about a basketball player who takes so much pride in creating opportunities for his teammates.
In what I saw in the semifinal game against Huntington Prep and the finals against Montverde, Phillips is a high effort player that is essential to their offense. That high effort was evidence by him diving for loose balls and playing scrappy defense to the man he’s on.
That energy will be needed next season for Mizzou basketball. The only stability from last year’s 9-23 season was point guard Keith Shamburger and he has graduated. Wes Clark tore his arm open and missed the final eight games, and Tramaine Isabell had his run-ins with Anderson and missed a couple games due to suspension.
The point guard position is wide open and Phillips could step right in and play. Anderson showed last year that he’ll play all guys on the roster if he needs to, and Phillips has that energy that Anderson can’t afford to sit on the bench.
Phillips may not have been blue-chipped ranked prospect like his brother, but he will provide immediate stability and a willingness to make his teammates better. That more than anything is what this very young Missouri team needs to grow.