ESPN analyzes Ja'Kobi Gillespie's fit at Tennessee as a top-10 transfer portal addition
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the No. 9 overall player in to have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, according to ESPN, which described the former Maryland point guard and Tennessee Basketball transfer as “a terrific lead guard.”
“Rick Barnes is replacing his entire perimeter group from this past season,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote, “but Gillespie gives the Vols a terrific lead guard. He’s not the same player as Zakai Zeigler, who was an energetic two-way performer, but Gillespie is very efficient offensively and a superior shooter.”
Gillespie, a Greeneville, Tenn., native, started all 36 games at Maryland last 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.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie starred at Belmont before transfer to Maryland
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.
Gillespie 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.
“Gillespie was one of the best point guards in the country after transferring to College Park from Belmont last spring,” Borzello wrote. “He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range. He went for 24 points vs. Kam Jones and Marquette in November.”
Gillespie also received interest from Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland and Villanova, among others. Gillespie entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after former Maryland coach Kevin Willard left for Villanova. Willard was replaced at Maryland by former Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams.
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Tennessee has added three transfers, five prep prospects
Tennessee added three transfers, starting with Gillespie. He was followed by Vanderbilt forward Jaylen Carey and Louisiana Tech guard Amaree Abram.
The Vols signed five players in their 2026 recruiting class, headlined by Five-Star Plus small forward Nate Ament, the No. 2 overall player in the On3 ratings.
Tennessee also four-star shooting guard Amari Evans and four-star center Dewayne Brown II in the fall and added to the class this spring with three-star point guard Troy Henderson and three-star shooting guard Clarence Massamba, a French prospect from AS Monaco.
Borzello has Tennessee at No. 23 in his Way-Too-Early Top 25, which was updated after NBA Draft withdrawals. He projects the starting five for the Vols to be Gillespie, Abram, Ament, Carey and Felix Okpara.
