ARLINGTON – High-octane guard Phillip Russell has opted to play for the UT Arlington men's basketball team, beginning today (Dec. 16) against Air Force, following the court and NCAA rulings this week granting immediate eligibility to multiple-time transfers.
 
Russell provides UTA with a do-it-all guard who scored more than 1,000 points in the past two seasons alone at the Division-I level and leading Southeast Missouri to the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
 
The decision comes following a roller coaster several days of court rulings and NCAA announcements, ultimately – as of Saturday – culminating with the NCAA reaching an agreement with the States to convert a 14-day temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction through the end of the 2024 spring championship season to grant immediate eligibility to all multiple-time undergraduate transfers.
 
Russell, who will now utilize one of his two remaining seasons of eligibility this year, issued the following statement:
 
Maverick Fans,
Following the NCAA news this week regarding the immediate eligibility of multi-time transfers, I have spent a lot of time consulting with my family and coaches about what is best for me. And I'm thrilled to announce that I intend to play my first game for UTA today against Air Force!
 
I firmly believe this decision is best for my long-term goals and plans. I'd like to thank Coach Turner, the entire staff and the UTA administration for their advisement and educational support during the process. It means everything to me that they have my back.
 
I have been practicing and working out with the team every day since getting to UTA this summer, and I can't wait to finally suit up alongside my teammates in an official game.
 
Go Mavs!
Phillip Russell
 
Russell – who began his career as a walk-on at Saint Louis – averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 34 starts with SEMO last year as a sophomore, knocking down a team-high 82 3-pointers at a 36% rate and also shooting 80% from the free throw line.
 
He was originally denied immediately eligibility with the Mavs as a result of being a two-time, D-I/four-year transfer as an undergraduate. UTA appealed that decision with the NCAA before the season, but that was also denied, leaving Russell to redshirt this year.
 
That all changed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and after sitting out the first nine games of UTA's season, Russell will make his Maverick debut at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth against Air Force at 4 p.m. in the first game of a tripleheader of action at the US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, and UTA's dedicated sections are 104 and 105. The game is presented by LBL Architects.
 
"Phillip is a proven winner and a big-time leader," Turner stated of Russell when he originally committed to UTA in May. "He can score at all three levels, and he's not afraid to take big shots in crucial moments of a game. Phillip will have a massive impact on our program."
 
Below is more information about Russell's accolades:
 
Russell was one of the elite performers last year nationally as he ranked 11th in the country in free throws made (173) and 26th in total assists (174), carrying the Redhawks to their first Ohio Valley Conference Championship in 23 years with four wins in four days – capped by him scoring the last seven points of an 89-82 overtime victory in the final against Tennessee Tech.
 
Due in part to that finishing performance, Russell was named to the OVC All-Tournament Team after being named an OVC First Team selection following the regular season in which he led the league in total points (615) and assists, and ranked 2nd in steals (54) and minutes played (1,104).
 
The 5-10, 165-pound explosive finisher tied SEMO's D-I single-game scoring record not once, but twice, with a pair of 37-point outbursts in conference action at Morehead State and then again versus Little Rock. Combined with a 30-point outing against Tennessee State, Russell scored 30+ points three times in a three-week stretch from Jan. 14-Feb. 4, not including a 29-point showing at Tennessee Tech. Those showcases resulted in Russell being named OVC Player of the Week on both Jan. 16 and Feb. 6.
 
The St. Louis native scored in double figures every game last season except one – a six-point contest on just 1-4 shooting on Dec. 29 at Southern Indiana – and tallied 20+ points on 11 occasions. He notched a pair of double-doubles, capped by a 15-point, 10-assist, 5-steal act in the NCAA Tournament against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Those 10 assists equaled the Islanders entire team output.
 
In a testament to Turner's comments about Russell taking shots at big times, he scored the 5th most 'clutch' points of any player in the nation last year, tallying 79 in last five minutes of regulation or overtime (leader: 87).
 
Additionally, Russell's 615 points last year were the most in SEMO's single-season D-I history (since 1991-92; 5th most all-time), and the 174 assists were the 4th most in the D-I era (5th most overall).
 
In his first season with SEMO in 2021-22, Russell earned OVC Second Team and OVC All-Newcomer Team honors after ranking 2nd on the team with 13.4 points per game in 30 starts, leading the Redhawks with 95 assists and 37 steals. He was named OVC Freshman of the Week five times: Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Jan. 3, Jan. 24 and Feb. 14.
 
Russell broke SEMO's D-I single-game scoring record by a freshman when he poured in 35 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and collected five steals at SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 7, 2021. Those exploits made him only the second D-I freshman in the previous 25 years to reach 35+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ steals in a game; the other belongs to three-time NBA All-Star and 1st Overall Pick Ben Simmons when he was at LSU in 2015.
 
Russell began his career as an aforementioned walk-on with Saint Louis during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 campaign, playing in eight games off the bench and registering 17 points.
 
At Vashon High School, Russell helped lead the Wolverines to a state title his junior season. Vashon was also in the state semifinals his senior year in 2020 before the tournament was canceled due to COVID. Russell averaged 15.7 points per game en route to claiming all-state honors as a senior, shooting 45% from the field and 57% from 3-point range.
   
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