The Tennessee Volunteers had a very solid 2024-25 season that saw them earn the second seed in the Midwest Region and make it all the way to the Elite Eight round of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
But once they got there, they fell to the surprising Houston Cougars in a 69-50 loss.
That may soon change as Tennessee landed an impact player from the transfer portal in Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a guard who averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 45.3% from the field last season for the Maryland Terrapins.
On Wednesday, they also secured a commitment from Clarence Massamba, a 6-foot-5 guard from France.
Massamba most recently played for AS Monaco Basket’s under-21 team. He’s averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 24.2 minutes per game, and he’s shooting 45.9% overall from the field.
He had previously spent two seasons at The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla. A number of prominent basketball programs, including Duke and Kansas, had shown interest in him before he decided to head to Tennessee.
In 10 seasons as the Volunteers’ head coach, Rick Barnes has gotten them to the NCAA Tournament seven times, including the last five seasons.
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
They made it to the Elite Eight round in the last two campaigns, but their journey ended there, losing to Purdue in 2024 and Houston this year.
In contrast to Tennessee’s men’s basketball program, the Lady Volunteers have won the national championship eight times thanks to notable players Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings, both of whom went on to become big WNBA stars.
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