Where Tennessee Basketball is ranked in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for next season
Tennessee Basketball came in at No. 21 in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 for the 2025-26 basketball season Monday night, after Florida beat Houston in the national championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Houston was ranked No. 1, ahead of Purdue, Louisville, UConn and Michigan in the top five. Other SEC teams in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 were No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 11 Alabama, No. 12 Auburn, No. 19 Florida and No. 24 Texas.
“Tennessee seems to be busy in the transfer portal early, and for good reason,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote. “Program stalwart Zakai Zeigler is gone, as are starters Chaz Lanier , Jahmai Mashack, Igor Milicic Jr. and reserves Jordan Gainey and Darlinstone Dubar.
“Rick Barnes already landed Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie, one of the best point guards available, and big man Jaylen Carey from Vanderbilt. But the Vols desperately need a boost on the wings.”
Tennessee’s current roster is scheduled to return three forwards in sophomores Cade Phillips and JP Estrella and junior in Felix Okpara and one guard in Bishop Boswell.
The Vols entered this season with two open scholarships, giving Barnes and his staff a handful of openings to work with in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Tennessee has signed two players in its 2025 recruiting class, four-star guard Amari Evans and four-star center Dewayne Brown, and has a commitment from Virginia point guard Troy Henderson.
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Vols added two transfer portal additions over the weekend
Gillespie committed on Friday and the Vols announced his signing on Monday. Carey announced his commitment on Sunday night. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound big man averaged 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game for the Commodores this season.
Gillespie was the biggest target for Tennessee as soon as he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal last Monday. He was visited by Tennessee’s coaching staff on Wednesday.
Gillespie started all 36 games at Maryland this season, averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists in 31.6 minutes per game while shooting 45.3% from the floor and 40.7% from the 3-point line, where he made 87 of 214 attempts.
He played his first two seasons of college basketball at Belmont, averaging 12.9 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 26.2 minutes per game, starting 32 times in 57 games with the Bruins. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals in 31.4 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2023-24, starting 24 times in 25 games.
Carey started his college basketball career at James Madison before following head coach Mark Byington to Vanderbilt. He had 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists before fouling out in Vanderbilt’s loss at Tennessee in February. He had 14 points and 10 boards in the Vandy’s win over the Vols in Nashville in January.
