In a big transition of Division-I college programs, Dream City Christian Prep's star 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior guard Jamari Phillips recently de-committed from the University of Arizona, after committing to the Wildcats early on in the recruiting process as a junior. Phillips's decision to re-open his college recruitment recently, has now landed Phillips at the University of Oregon, after he committed to the Ducks this weekend. Phillips will now suit up for the Oregon Ducks for the 2024-2025 college basketball season, after it was expected for some time that he would be an Arizona Wildcat.
Phillips gave an early pledge to University of Arizona Head Coach Tommy Lloyd and his coaching staff as a junior. He then joined AZ Compass Prep in the middle of his junior season, and immediately stepped in, and helped lead the program to a runner-up finish for the National Championship in the GEICO National Tournament
Phillips then looked to start this past season with AZ Compass, until he decided to leave the program just before the start to the prep season. Phillips landed at Dream City Christian Prep and immediately helped lead the program to a tournament championship at the Flight Club Invitational held in California. Phillips went on to make Dream City Christian Prep one of the nation's most talented prep programs in the country this past season.
With Dream City, Phillips also teamed up with future Arizona Wildcat, 7-foot-1 senior post Emmanuel Stephen (University of Arizona signee). Stephen and Phillips also played together last spring and summer (2023) with their Paul George Elite (CA) club program. The two were expected to also play together at the collegiate level for the Arizona Wildcats. That will no longer happen.
Congratulations to Jamari Phillips, his family and the Dream City Christian Prep program on this nice accomplishment from our staff here at Arizona Preps, and great luck at Oregon and in your college future.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Phillips is a nice prospect for the University of Oregon, as he is a pure scorer with a pure shooting stroke and a scorer's mentality. He has a nice ability to create his own shot and score, and also catch and shoot the ball with excellent range. While he is still looking to become more consistent from longer ranges, he is a handful in the mid-range, where he is able to score around and over defenders, as a result of his explosiveness off the dribble. He is a strong finisher at the rim and also good in the open floor, where he thrives. He is a good rebounder from the guard position, although he does need to focus more on this area of his game, because he has the ability to be better in this area. He is a strong ball handler and can get to where he wants on the floor, but he needs to be more consistent with his passes to set up his teammates for easier shots. He has a bright future ahead, as he still has upside and is still growing into his long frame. He should blossom over time with maturity.