Basketball season has arrived, and a new-look Tennessee squad should be ready to compete once again for an SEC title. Rick Barnes has retooled his roster following the departures of Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai
Mashack and Chaz Lanier. Maryland transfer point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is set to lead the way for the Volunteers this season, armed with five-star, future lottery pick Nate Ament on the wing.
ESPN recognized both players this week, naming them to their top 100 overall players. Gillespie landed at No. 31 while Ament checked in at No. 18.
#31 — Ja’Kobi Gillespie
With Zakai Zeigler exhausting his eligibility, Rick Barnes had to go into the transfer portal for an elite point guard, and landed one of the best available. Gillespie was remarkably efficient during his time at Belmont, but it was hard to envision him earning third-team All-Big Ten honors and averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists during his lone season at Maryland. How he adapts defensively in the SEC will be key. — Borzello
#18 — Nate Ament
Rick Barnes praised Ament, a five-star recruit and projected first-round draft pick, telling reporters at SEC media day that the freshman is “learning to do things at a level that he’s never had to.” The 6-9 forward will be a perimeter presence for Barnes and an impossible matchup for most opponents Tennessee faces this season. The biggest question will be about Ament’s ability to handle stronger players at this level. — Medcalf
Gillespie has drawn praise from just about everyone during preseason practices. The 6-1 senior returns home to East Tennessee this season where he’ll end his college career with the Volunteers.
“Well, we always had our eyes on Ja’Kobi, but the year he left Belmont to go to Maryland, with Zakai coming back, it was really a hard sell for us to try to convince him,” Rick Barnes said of Gillespie. “But we’re excited because he brings a lot. I mean, are they similar? In some ways. And the biggest one is their competitiveness.”
Nate Ament has been talked about as a potential No. 1 overall selection in the NBA Draft. He’ll settle into Tennessee 3-role this year, giving the Volunteers a really lengthy lineup with a ton of depth.
“Nate’s learning to play a different position than he’s ever really played,” Barnes said. “I mean, we’ve kept him exclusively on the outside right now and because of our front-line depth. And he’s learning to do things at a level that he’s never had to, which is not unique to freshmen coming in, knowing how to go from one play to the next play, sustain it and turn and go the other way quicker than he ever has. But we’re more than pleased with him because of his humility and how hard he works.”
Tennessee starts the season ranked 18th in the AP Poll. The Volunteers begin ranked 9th overall in KenPom.
Tennessee’s season gets rolling on Sunday night unofficially with a scrimmage against Duke. The Volunteers will open officially against Mercer on November 3rd.
