We are still several months away from the 2025-26 basketball season getting here for the Tennessee Vols, but it's never too early to start thinking about the future. Come next campaign, there are going to be countless eyes on the new additions for the roster, with two names in particular facing pressure.
That'd be transfer guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and 5-star forward Nate Ament, the highest-rated signee in Tennessee basketball history. The two are already on campus in Knoxville with their new teammates and offseason practices/workouts appear to be going quite well.
Several practice clips have been posted on social media of late and it's easy to get excited about what both Ament and Gillespie are going to be able to get done together next year. Could they end up playing a role in the Vols reaching the Final Four for the first time ever?
Nate Ament 🤝 Ja’Kobi Gillespie pic.twitter.com/yANFRTo7r8
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) June 17, 2025
Tennessee fans are ready to see what Nate Ament and Ja'Kobi Gillespie can get done in Knoxville
Yes, these are only summer practice clips and we're not closing in on the start of the regular season or anything, but come on, this is awesome to see. In other videos, both Gillespie and Ament are burying shots from all over the hardwood too.
It's going to be quite strange not seeing Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack on the court for the Vols next season, as they've meant so much to the program in recent years. Chaz Lanier off to the NBA Draft is a major bummer as well.
First look at Nate Ament at Tennessee pic.twitter.com/GVHtOCbL6V
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) June 17, 2025
However, Barnes has reloaded via the transfer portal and his 2025 class, which has a lot of people buzzing for next season to get here. Ament stunned a lot of us when he signed with the Vols - he knows there's ton of hype surrounding his name.
The same can be said for Gillespie, who was stellar for Maryland. This of course is going to be a group effort in '25-'26 for Tennessee to make a lot of noise, but Ament and Gillespie will be the ones fans will be following closely. Thus far, they're giving people hope that next season could be one to remember.