This was our first viewing of Julian Phillips of Capital City Vipers and we walked away impressed. It was not only a 40 point, 19 rebound game that caught our eye but it was the overall production and skill set he showcased, each game, that showed us that he belonged among the best.
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hillips stands at a lengthy 6'5' as an eighth grader. He plays for a Capital City Vipers team, who is also South Carolina's defending AAU State Champion for the 2022 class. They are not a traditional power, but for this particular age group, the Capital City Vipers has accumulated a great amount of talent for this age group.
Back to Phillips, phrases like 'high level prospect,' 'national level type prospect', 'big time written all over him' and 'is going to be a problem moving forward' are getting thrown around regularly while and after watching him.
While it is still in its infancy, people should start thinking of Phillips as South Carolina's top prospect in the 2022 class. He has great length and incredible hands. Phillips runs the floor at a high rate, transitioning quickly and routinely beating his man from one end to the other for easy baskets and shot contests. He has smooth looking form on his jump shot with the ability to put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two.
When watching Phillips, at this stage in his development, there can be a lot of comparisons thrown around. One that seems the most interesting is when our Miles Masercola said Phillips reminds Masercola of Benji Wilson. Naturally, Wilson was tragically murdered before Masercola was born, however in watching the grainy early 80s video of him and listening to recounts of his game, the similarities in the game go further than just how they look. Yes, Phillips looks like Wilson physically as well.
Regardless, Phillips is one who should be nationally ranked among the top 100. As he continues to grow, it will be exciting to watch his game continue to develop. There are some great tools here, tools that could continue to grow among national rankings.