Maryland guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, Travis Branham reports. Gillespie just wrapped up his first season with the program but is set to be back on the open market. Big-time teams across college basketball will certainly be after.

Gillespie played and started in all 36 games for Maryland this season, averaging over 30 minutes a night. He was the team’s second-leading scorer with an average of 14.7 points per game. Maryland relied on him on the playmaking front too, topping the squad at 4.8 assists a night.

The efforts were good enough to be named third-team All-Big Ten. A massive honor for Gillespie considering this was his first year of playing in a high-major program.

“I mean, it’s been fun just coming here with a whole bunch of — because there was a lot of transfers coming in together,” Gillespie said during the NCAA Tournament. “I feel like we all came in and had the same goal to play deep in the postseason. So I feel like we’re finally here doing that. So, yeah, it’s been fun.”

Gillespie played high school basketball at Greenville (TN) but was not ranked at the time. His first go-round in the transfer portal saw him as the No. 48 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

In-state Belmont is where Gillespie began his playing days. Maryland won out last offseason but schools such as Florida, Oklahoma, and Virginia were involved last time. Another opportunity is there if any of them want to reengage.

Buzz Williams reportedly interested in Maryland job

What’s going on right now at Maryland is having an effect on the coaching landscape all over college basketball. That, reportedly, includes a development now down in College Station.

Per Jeff Goodman at the Field of 68, Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams is “trying to get involved” with the Terrapins’ job if Kevin Willard were to leave. That’s with Willard still in connection to the current vacancy at Villanova.

“Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams trying to get involved in Maryland if/when it opens, source told @TheFieldOf68,” Goodman tweeted on Friday.

Time will tell if Maryland even has a job that becomes available. If it does, though, Williams could quickly become a candidate considering his apparent interest in it per Goodman.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report