BIRMINGHAM, AL — Rick Barnes would have loved having Zakai Zeigler and Ja’Kobi Gillespie playing for Tennessee basketball together.
The Vols coach said they always had their eyes on Gillespie, and tried to get the point guard to Tennessee when he entered the transfer portal out of Belmont after his sophomore season. But it was a tough sell, with Zeigler returning for his senior season, Barnes said on Oct. 15 at the SEC Basketball Tipoff ’26 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel.
When Gillespie entered the portal again after leading Maryland to the Sweet 16, the native of Greeneville, Tennessee, chose the Vols.
Barnes said he sees some similarities between Gillespie and Zeigler, even though they play the position differently. They’re both highly competitive and Gillespie’s endurance is similar to Zeigler’s, Barnes said. Gillespie wants to go every rep in practice, never wants to take himself out and has “probably put in more mileage than anybody.”
“We’re lucky to have him,” Barnes said. “We’re blessed to have him because he’s better than I thought. The more I’m with him, the more I realize that he’s just going to continue to get better throughout the year.”
Cade Phillips said Zeigler was a rare leader who left his mark at Tennessee with huge shoes to fill. But Gillespie understands that and the role he has to take on to replace Zeigler, Phillips said.
“He’s doing it in his own way. Ja’Kobi is his own player,” Phillips said. “He understands that, Coach understands that, and I think he fully embodies what it means to be part of this program and to continue that culture.”
The 6-foot-1 Gillespie earned third-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists for Maryland last season. He’ll be a key scorer for the Vols after shooting 41.4% on 81 made 3-pointers.
Phillips said Gillespie is “no doubt a leader on this team,” which is tough to do coming in as a transfer. Gillespie’s personality leans more toward leading by example, and Phillips said Gillespie never gets tired in practice.
“We’ve had conversations of, ‘Hey, I know you’re new here, but this is your team, so don’t be afraid,’ ” Phillips said. “I tell him all the time, be true to yourself. Don’t try to be anybody else. Be the best version of yourself and we’ll follow that.”
Barnes has said he wants Gillespie to be more vocal on the court. Gillespie looks at it as another challenge, stepping into a role with high expectations, and he believes Barnes trusts him to do that.
“I like (Barnes’) coaching style, because he’s straight to the point,” Gillespie said. “He’s not going to sugarcoat anything, and he expects a lot from you, because he knows how good you can be. I feel like he holds you to a different standard.”