Tennessee basketball, fueled by a reenergized roster and fresh chemistry, is setting its sights on a return to championship form.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Tennessee basketball.
It felt as though the Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack era of Tennessee basketball would last forever in Knoxville. Unfortunately, it came to a close with a crushing 69–50 loss to the national championship runner-up Houston Cougars.
Basketball fans, and especially those who bleed orange, are wondering how renowned head coach Rick Barnes will fare without his trusted right-hand men.
The Vols have recently thrived by bringing in skilled players from the transfer portal — from junior colleges like Dalton Knecht to low-major Division I programs like Chaz Lanier — and developing them into bona fide stars.
Barnes has brought in plenty of firepower this offseason. In the backcourt, he welcomes senior guards Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Amaree Abram, while the frontcourt gets a boost with the addition of junior forward Jaylen Carey from in-state rival Vanderbilt.
During the 2024-25 season, Gillespie suited up for the Maryland Terrapins, starting all 36 games. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per contest. Playing alongside 2025 NBA Draft 13th overall pick Derik Queen, Gillespie earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors and helped guide the Terrapins to the Sweet 16.
A guard who earned All-Conference USA Honorable Mention honors last season, Abram joins Rocky Top after transferring from Louisiana Tech. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for the Bulldogs, whom he aided to a 20-12 record.
Carey averaged 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game for Vanderbilt, helping lead the Commodores to a 20–13 (8–10 SEC) record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
Ranked as the eighth-best class in the country, the 2025 recruiting class for Tennessee basketball is among the most historic in program history. Nate Ament, the No. 4-ranked recruit of the 2025 class, is the program’s third top-five recruit in Tennessee history, alongside Tobias Harris (2010) and Allan Houston (1989). He is accompanied by two other players ranked in the top 100, DeWayne Brown II and Amari Evans.
Barnes and his staff will rely on returners Felix Okpara, Cade Phillips, JP Estrella, and Bishop Boswell to help the newcomers adjust to the program and meet its expectations.
Tennessee basketball’s unofficial season opener — a sold-out exhibition against the Duke Blue Devils at Food City Center on October 26 — will give fans an early glimpse of just how capable this team can be.
The Volunteers may no longer have Zeigler or Mashack, but another Elite Eight run is well within reach for this talented and balanced roster.
Head coach: Rick Barnes (11th season at Tennessee, 38th season overall)
2024-25 record: 30-8 (12-6)
2025 postseason finish:Â Lost to Houston (69-50) in Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:Â
- Chaz Lanier (18.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- Zakai Zeigler (13.6 PPG, 7.4 APG, 2.9 RPG)
- Jordan Gainey (11.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.9 APG)
- Darlinstone Dubar (9.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.9 APG)
- Jahmai Mashack (6.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Rutgers (Nov. 24) – Players Era Festival
- vs. Houston (Nov. 25) – Players Era Festival
- Players Era Festival (Nov. 26-27)
- at Syracuse (Dec. 2)
- vs. Illinois (Dec. 6) – Nashville, TN
- vs. Louisville (Dec. 16)
Projected Rotation
PG: Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 188, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 14.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 45.3 FG%, 40.7 3P%, 86.2 FT% (Maryland)
SG: Amaree Abram (6-3, 200, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 42.2 FG%, 37.3 3P%, 84.8 FT% (Louisiana Tech)
SF: Nate Ament (6-10, 207, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #4-ranked recruit
PF: Jaylen Carey (6-8, 267, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 8.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 BPG, 48.8 FG%, 23.1 3P%, 56.8 FT% (Vanderbilt)
C: Felix Okpara (6-11, 243, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 7.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.7 BPG, 58.9 FG%, 71.9 FT%
6: Cade Phillips (6-9, 221, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 4.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.9 BPG, 63.0 FG%, 54.1 FT%
7: JP Estrella (6-11, 240, Rs.-So.)
2024-25 stats: 4.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.7 BPG, 66.7 FG%, 66.7 FT%
8: Bishop Boswell (6-4, 204, So.)
2024-25 stats: 0.3 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 27.3 FG%, 50.0 FT%
9: DeWayne Brown II (6-8, 251, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #95-ranked recruit
10: Amari Evans (6-5, 220, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #71-ranked recruit
Tennessee Basketball team MVP: Ja’Kobi Gillespie
Ja’Kobi Gillespie has been impressive this offseason.
“We’re lucky to have him,” Barnes said. “We’re blessed to have him because he’s better than I thought. The more I’m with him, the more I realize that he’s just going to continue to get better throughout the year.”
Gillespie brings a high motor and has demonstrated his ability to knock down shots from deep while excelling at getting to the rim and finishing with floaters. He has fully embraced the program, eager to learn from one of college basketball’s greatest coaches and elevate the play of his teammates around him.
While Gillespie steps into the role vacated by Zeigler, he brings a distinct skill set and identity to the position. His focus isn’t on replicating his predecessor, but on embracing his own role as the team’s new point guard and leading them to success.
If Gillespie can elevate his game and lead this team as Barnes expects, they have the potential to stay ranked in the top five throughout the season and make a serious postseason run.
Tennessee Basketball make-or-break player: Nate Ament
Freshman Nate Ament has the potential to become one of the nation’s most talked-about players.
Ament is a versatile forward with the ability to handle the ball, shoot from range, create plays, and guard multiple positions—traits scouts say give him significant long-term upside.
Ament is the highest-rated recruit Rick Barnes has landed since Kevin Durant. Fans and analysts are making a comparison between the two due to his 6’10” frame and guard-like abilities. These are steep expectations for an 18-year-old true freshman.
After averaging 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a senior in high school, he now faces his biggest test yet: stepping into the nation’s toughest conference, the SEC. It’s a major challenge, but if Ament can smoothly transition from high school to the college game, he has the tools to become a dangerous player—one capable of earning All-SEC and even All-America honors.
Key analytic: Defensive success
Rick Barnes has had a history of having highly rated defensive teams while being on Rocky Top.
A major factor behind Tennessee’s success has been two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year Zakai Zeigler, paired with the ever-reliable Swiss Army knife, Jahmai Mashack. With those two setting the tone, the Volunteers have boasted a top-five defense for four straight seasons.
With both of them gone, Tennessee basketball fans will be eager to see what kind of defensive identity this year’s squad develops.
Tennessee Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 4th in the SEC
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NCAA Tournament Final Four Exit
[…] an exhibition game. In that game, he had 24 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Tennessee is a team we have 17 on CBB Rank, and while it’s just an exhibition game, you have to be […]