Tennessee star Ja'Kobi Gillespie joins NCAA tournament legends with his spectacular performances

The biggest factor in Tennessee’s March Madness run so far has been the emergence of point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. On Friday versus Miami (OH), when Tennessee needed him most, with Nate Ament hurt, he scored 29 points and dished out no assists. He simply put the team on his back when they desperately needed him to.

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Fast-forward to Sunday evening, and he had another standout game against a really good Virginia team. Gillespie scored a team-high 21 points and added six assists. Based on these two amazing performances, he has now joined an elite club.

With these two standout games, Gillespie now joins Kemba Walker and Billy Donovan as the only three players in the 64/68 team NCAA tournament era to score 50 points and have 15 assists in their first two games. 

The 50 points are not surprising at all, but Gillespie has made a huge jump in his ability to be the floor general in Rick Barnes' offense. Being able to not only score at an elite level but also be able to dish it out at a high rate is a massive boost for the half-court offense.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie is in March Madness History

Joining a club like this shows how elite Gillespie truly is. Kemba Walker is a March Madness legend with a national title and the ability to hit any shot from anywhere on the floor. Donovan is also someone with a big March Madness footprint, as he led Providence to its second-ever Final Four.

One can only hope that Gillespie has the same fate as Walker and Donovan. This list also proves that elite guard play is essential in March. Having a guy that can be relied on with the ball and can make plays for his teammates is crucial this time of year. 

Gillespie will have arguably his hardest matchup of the season going up against Iowa State on Friday night. The starting point guard has already made his mark on Tennessee basketball, but guiding the team to a Final Four would elevate him to legendary status.