Ja’Kobi Gillespie continues to be overlooked in college basketball, despite averaging 27.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in the Players’ Era Men’s Championship. His latest surge has led Tennessee to a third-place encounter with Kansas in the 18-team tournament, yet media and experts exclude him from this season’s Top 5 guard debates.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie Addresses Media’s Guard Rankings Oversight
Gillespie starred in back-to-back tournament wins at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. First, he led the Volunteers to a decisive victory over Rutgers, scoring 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, which powered the Rick Barnes-coached squad to an 85-60 rout.
Building on that performance against the Scarlet Knights, the senior guard followed with a 22-point encore in Tennessee’s 76-73 win over No. 3 Houston. He played 38 minutes against the Cougars and bucked foul trouble to help the team secure its seventh-straight win.
After the game, the 6’1″ Greenville, Tennessee, had a chance to talk with Field of 68 co-founder and college basketball insider Jeff Goodman. He was asked about his thoughts on various sports media outlets’ 2025-26 college basketball player rankings, which rank him outside the Top 5 in his position.
Gillespie, who transferred from Maryland during the offseason, replied that he’s fine with their opinions as long as he continues to prove to everyone that he is capable of helping the team win at all costs.
“It’s alright. I showed tonight I’m one of the top guards but I don’t really pay attention to that,” he said. “They can say anything about me or not or just whatever.”
EXCLUSIVE: @GoodmanHoops talks with @Vol_Hoops‘ Ja’Kobi Gillespie after their BIG win over Houston:
“We wanna show people we’re the best team in the SEC. Our goal is to win a national championship” 👀 pic.twitter.com/3BSKz4w2ca
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 26, 2025
Gillespie was ranked No. 14 among guards and 31st overall in ESPN’s Top 100 men’s NCAA basketball players rankings. Sports Illustrated, on the other hand, listed him as the ninth-best guard in its list while CBS put him as the 12th-best guard and 23rd overall in its own rankings.
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In the game against Houston, the guard proved he can be dependable in the clutch, making all six free throws in the final 35 seconds to help Tennessee put away the Cougars and improve to 23-11 against AP Top-15 foes since Dec. 22, 2021, including 8-6 against the Top 5.
Gillespie said he doesn’t mind a lower Top 25 ranking as long as his team continues to win and prove it is the best in the SEC and the country.
Gillespie Gives Props to Freshman Nate Ament for Playing Through Foul Trouble
The Tennessee guard, meanwhile, showed how he appreciates his teammates even if they’re just freshmen. He applauded the efforts of five-star prospect Nate Ament despite playing less than his usual minutes due to foul trouble against Houston.
Ament struggled to find his shooting stroke, apparently due to sitting on the bench to prevent him from getting his fourth foul. He missed seven of eight attempts from the field, including 0-for-4 from the 3-point line.
He finished with nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 24 minutes for the Volunteers. The guard called the 6’9″ forward a special talent, which would make him easier to get along with the team as the season wears on.
“Nate is a special player. He’s definitely a big part of this team. We know he’ll come along,” Gillespie said. “I feel he played good today just being in foul trouble. We’re good.”
Gillespie and Ament will conclude their Players Era Men’s Championship stint on Wednesday, Nov. 26, when Tennessee aims for the third-place finish against Kansas, who beat Syracuse 71-60 on Tuesday. Tipoff is set at 7 p.m. ET at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with TNT covering the game on live television.