Tennessee G Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Photo by RTI/Ryan Sylvia.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Rick Barnes’ upcoming team at Tennessee.
It’s not hard to look out at the court and see 6-foot-10 freshman Nate Ament, who is widely projected as a Top 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and could even battle for the top overall spot.
You could also look at some of the returning faces on the roster. While there aren’t too many with the likes of Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack graduating, you’ll still see returning starter Felix Okpara, returning rotational big man Cade Phillips, and forward J.P. Estrella as he returns from injury.
But by the end of the season, you’ll probably be looking back at former Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie as one of the top performers on the Tennessee squad and viably in the entire SEC as a whole.
Gillespie spent his first two seasons at Belmont before moving to Maryland for his junior season. With the Terrapins, he averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game last season. Gillespie, a native of Greeneville, TN, now returns his talents back to the Volunteer State for his senior season with the Vols.
The 6-foot-1 guard was recently named one of the Top 10 impact transfers by ESPN’s Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello.
“Gillespie enjoyed his national breakout last season after transferring from Belmont to Maryland, where he was an All-Big Ten performer,” Borzello writes. “In Knoxville, he will be replacing Zakai Zeigler as Rick Barnes’ point guard.”
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Gillespie is a knock-down shooter who has only gotten better as his collegiate career has advanced. Last season at Maryland, he shot 45.3% from the floor and 40.7% from three-point range. That followed perimeter shooting years of 29.5% (2022) and 38.7% (2023) at Belmont.
He can also drive the ball and finish at the hoop. While we haven’t seen too much this summer, his ability to score at the basket has been impressive. It’s NBA-esque at times, with the way he can contort his body or use different spots on the glass to get the ball to go in the hoop.
Gillespie will also be called upon to be a leading figure for Tennessee’s new-look roster. The Vols will have to rely on some new pieces getting mixed into the fold, and Gillespie not only holds the skill but plays the position on the floor to make that happen. He’ll work alongside international transfer Ethan Burg, five-star freshman Nate Ament, true freshman Troy Henderson, and Louisiana Tech shooting Guard Amaree Abram.
For more on the new pieces that Tennessee is looking to work into the fold, check out Rocky Top Insider’s summer practice notebook and observations here.