Though Tennessee basketball lost in the Elite Eight to Houston, they gained a new volunteer, who is now a former Maryland top guard and fellow Tennessian Ja'Kobi Gillespie, via the transfer portal.  

According to Joe Tipton of On3Sports, the junior guard, born in Greeneville, officially committed to Tennessee on Friday. He entered the transfer portal after his coach, Kevin Willard, took the head coaching job at Villanova. 

Gillespie is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 assists per game.

Thanks partly to Gillespie's contributions, Maryland made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida 87-71. Gillespie finished the game with 17 points in 31 minutes of play. 

Before coming to Maryland, Gillespie played two seasons at Belmont University in Nashville. Over two years, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. 

Along the way, Gillespie became known for his ability to score and vision of the court while also utilizing his leadership skills to create opportunities for himself and others to contribute. 

Article Continues Below
Related Tennessee Basketball News
Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) reacts against the Houston Cougars in the second half during the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tennessee basketball star sues for longshot 5th year so he can make $2-4 millionTroy Finnegan ·
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks with guard Zakai Zeigler (5) in the first half during the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Why Tennessee’s latest portal addition chose to join the basketball programBenjamin Adducchio ·
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes directs his team during the first half of a game against the Houston Cougars on Sunday, March 30, 2025, during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA March Madness tournament
Top 2 transfer portal targets for Rick Barnes, Tennessee basketballScotty White ·
McDonald's All American East forward Nate Ament (10) dribbles the ball against McDonald's All American West guard Mikel Brown Jr. (11) during the second half of the game at Barclays Center.
The Kevin Durant reason why 5-star Nate Ament committed to TennesseeDavid Yapkowitz ·
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes sends out directions to the team during the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game against Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes blames 2 fatal flaws for awful first half vs. HoustonRichard Pereira ·
Featured image Tenessee Rick Barnes
Tennessee basketball’s Rick Barnes drops truth bomb on reaching new ‘level’ after loss to HoustonDylan Fine ·

Those attributes will lead him back home, and it couldn't have happened at the right time. 

Ja'Kobi Gillespie is what Tennessee is looking for

Outside of coming home, Gillespie is exactly what Tennessee and coach Rick Barnes are seeking in terms of a guard who can be a playmaker. Not only that, but he will be filling a void left behind by standout guard Zakai Ziegler, who is set to graduate. 

Gillespie is expected to be in the starting lineup next season. He will also play a big part in helping to develop the recent recruit, Troy Henderson, from Richmond, VA. 

Gillespie fulfills Tennessee's biggest needs on two significant fronts. He possesses the leadership skills and experience to take over as starting guard and can be an effective mentor to some of the top talent coming down the pike.