Coming off a great season at Belmont, Ja’Kobi Gillespie has formally joined the Maryland men’s basketball team.
Gillespie’s main priority has consistently been to join a program with a clear need at point guard. There was mutual interest between Gillespie and Maryland, making it a perfect match.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals with the Bruins in 2023-24. He earned second-team All-MVC, MVC All-Defensive team and MVC Most Improved team honors.
“I definitely had some of those thoughts in my head,” Gillespie said of transferring on Glenn Clark Radio April 12, “but I was just trying to finish out the season and do as good and then think about it, talk with my family and just figure it out.”
With two years of eligibility remaining, Gillespie had a long list of suitors, but the connection between his AAU coach and Maryland director of player personnel Ricky Harris may have tipped the scales.
“I definitely wanted to win but I also wanted to have a high impact and wanted to be around a good group of guys, coaches and teammates,” Gillespie said. “When I visited Maryland it kind of felt like home. They were all so welcoming and it felt like family. That was really the main thing. We have a good group of guys coming in. I feel like we can really win.”
It’s no surprise that Ja’Kobi Gillespie was inspired by Jahmir Young’s success, which helped him recognize the potential impact he could make at Maryland. An All-Big Ten selection the past two seasons, Young finished his college career by averaging 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Terps in 2023-24.
“Yeah, that definitely played a big part in it, too. Just seeing how Maryland’s just known for point guards, it definitely caught my attention and I knew I could be the next one,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie is confident he can make a difference in taking the program to the next level. Maryland’s performance this season was characterized by offensive challenges and unrealized goals. Second-year coach Kevin Willard led the Terps to a 16-17 record, the program’s second losing record in the past three seasons.
However, Willard has tapped into the transfer portal this offseason, bringing aboard Gillespie and fellow guards Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel. The coach also reeled in highly-rated center Derik Queen from the high school ranks.
“We have Derik Queen and Rodney Rice but also just the coach’s vision,” Gillespie said. “He knew the reason for all the games they lost last year, he knew what he was missing, and I feel like he’s going to find that and he’s going to be back winning.”
Known for throwing down a crazy Harlem Globetrotters-esque alley-oop dunk back in the 2022 state high school playoffs in Tennessee, the well-rounded, athletic guard expects to be more than just a scorer for Maryland.
“I am always going to play hard on both ends of the [court] and I like to get others involved. That really helps me score the ball,” Gillespie said. “I like to get others involved and play hard on defense which I think really helps the overall team.”
Even as Gillespie looks ahead, he still can’t help but be excited for the future of the program and believes that making a run at the NCAA Tournament is what drives him to excel.
“That’s super important. That’s why we play, to win games,” said Gillespie. “I feel like I definitely want to get to the tournament. That has always been a dream of mine, [having watched] the tournament. That’s definitely something I want to play in.”
For more from Gillespie, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ja’Kobi Gillespie