The Tennessee Volunteers don’t have their next Zakai Zeigler at point guard.
They have their first Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
Tennessee filled a position of great need through the NCAA transfer portal Friday afternoon, receiving a commitment from Gillespie, a 6-foot-1, 186-pounder who was a junior at Maryland this past season and averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He was a Big Ten third-team selection for the Terrapins, who went 27-9 and advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 before losing to Florida.
“I’m coming home,” Gillespie posted on Instagram.
Gillespie played at Greeneville High, which is roughly 70 miles east of Knoxville, and originally signed with Belmont University. As a freshman for the Bruins during the 2022-23 season, he made the Missouri Valley Conference all-freshman team after averaging 9.6 points, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals a contest.