The Tennessee basketball season was a strong one, even if they fell short of reaching the Final Four. Rick Barnes has built a consistently winning program and has shown he can adapt in the NIL era by bringing in key transfers.
Tennessee’s hidden weakness that must be fixed by Rick Barnes this offseason
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a First Team All-SEC selection, was obviously a major factor, and Jaylen Carey played a big role as well. Barnes’ ability to hit the transfer portal has been massive for the program, as without having both of these players The Vols wouldn't nearly have been as good.
In an On3 story by Mike Wilson, Ja'Kobi Gillespie had a strong message for transfers that were being recruited by Rick Barnes and the Vols. Gillespie said, "It is the best culture in college basketball. If you are looking at Tennessee, you know you are going to be in the tournament and know you’ll be able to make a run.”
Why should transfers choose Tennessee?
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) March 31, 2026
Ja'Kobi Gillespie: "It is the best culture in college basketball. If you are looking at Tennessee, you know you are going to be in the tournament and know you’ll be able to make a run.”https://t.co/ulgrkuNPUA
Ja'Kobi Gillespie continues to help Rick Barnes
The former Maryland and Belmont transfer is still helping the Vols despite graduating. Not only was h his play on the court amazing, but his words are even better, the way he speaks about Rick Barnes and the program. Looking at the bigger picture, with Tennesse losing Gillepsie and Felix Okpara, plus Nate Ament is probably going to the NBA Draft, the Vols have a lot of gaps to fill.
It's becoming clear that Rick Barnes does not notice this, as he's already making progress in the Transfer Portal. Barnes and Tennesse hosted the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Tyler Lundblade, yesterday, a 15-point-per-game scorer with an elite jump shot. Given that one day after the session ends, Barnes is making contact with targets is a great sign.
The obvious concern for many Tennessee fans is who will be the point guard next year. Given that Gillespie had so much on his plate last season, Ethan Burg and Troy Henderson hardly played. It feels like that's a major jump to go from barely playing to starting point guard on a top-25 team. It's still very early in the process, but Barnes has gasp he needs to fill. I can't wait to see how this roster shakes out.