Maryland guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie commits to Tennessee out of NCAA transfer portal
Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie has committed to Tennessee out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. He spent just one year with the Terrapins before making another move.
Initially, Gillespie began his career at Belmont. He spent two seasons there before transferring to Maryland ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
After a relatively normal freshman season, Ja’Kobi Gillespie really exploded onto the scene as a sophomore at Belmont. He posted incredibly impressive numbers, numbers good enough to justify a jump up to the high major level.
Gillespie averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in 2023-24. He was one of the best players in the MVC.
The talented 6-foot-1, 186-pound guard was named to the MVC All-Conference Second Team. He also earned nods on the MVC All-Defensive Team and the MVC Most-Improved Team.
Then he got to Maryland. And he continued to shine.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie helped the Terps to a Sweet 16 berth, averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. He filled the stat sheet up at every turn.
During the NCAA Tournament this year, Gillespie scored 44 points on 13-of-32 shooting, including a 7-of-20 mark from 3-point range. He added 10 assists, eight steals and six rebounds, as well as a block.
Top 10
- 1New
Baseball Field of 64
Projecting NCAA Baseball Tournament
- 2
ESPN Top 25
Way Too Early hoops rankings
- 3
Pop Isaacs
Creighton guard commits to Houston
- 4Hot
Mel Kiper
2-round mock draft
- 5
Will Howard
Takes parting shot at Vols
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Some of the other highlights from Ja’Kobi Gillespie? He recorded 11 assists in a game against Syracuse, notching a double-double with 17 points to go with it.
He also scored 24 points against Marquette, 23 against Ohio State, 27 against UCLA and 26 against Iowa. He can really light it up when he’s hot.
Simply put, he showed up on the big stage in a big way. And now he’ll have the chance to continue doing just that at Tennessee.
The Volunteers are coming off a trip to the Elite Eight, one that was ended by Houston. Coach Rick Barnes has had his team competitive deep into March on an annual basis, and the addition of Ja’Kobi Gillespie should only help further that success.