Following their loss to the Houston Cougars last weekend, the Tennessee Volunteers have been actively targeting players in the NCAA transfer portal.
With six key seniors departing, head coach Rick Barnes and his staff are faced with the challenge of replacing significant contributors from this past season.
The Vols came very close to landing top transfer prospect Isaac McKneely but were ultimately outbid by Louisville at the last moment.
Recently, Tennessee has been focused on securing a commitment from one of the top guards in the portal, a former member of Maryland’s “Fab Five” and a Tennessee native.
Given his background, the Volunteers were determined not to let this opportunity pass. Earlier this week, Barnes and his staff visited Ja’Kobi Gillespie at his home.
“Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie will have an in-person visit with Tennessee today, per his father,” Jon Rothstein tweeted.
After the visit, Gillespie expressed interest in planning additional visits to Tennessee and Villanova, his hometown team, which is attempting to recruit him away from his former coach, Kevin Willard.
“Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie is working on setting up visits to both Tennessee and Villanova, per his father,” Rothstein added.
On Friday, Tennessee’s efforts paid off as Gillespie committed to the Vols, marking a major win for Barnes, who found a replacement for Zakai Zeigler.
Barnes had expressed excitement earlier in the NCAA Tournament about the ongoing transfer portal season.
“Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said the Vols recently added a commitment and plan to have another really productive year in the transfer portal.
He said he’s really excited about the next step at Tennessee,” Wes Rucker reported.
This move is not the last for the Volunteers, and there’s still a possibility that some seniors could return.
While Tennessee’s roster remains relatively thin for now, Barnes is sure to find players who align with his vision as the portal continues to evolve.
