CHICAGO — Tennessee point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie reached a single-season milestone in the Vols’ Elite Eight matchup against Michigan on Sunday afternoon. Gillespie became just the fourth player in program history to make 100 three-pointers in a season.
Gillespie entered the matchup against Michigan needing to connect from deep just once to reach the 100 mark. He missed his first three attempts from deep before making his fourth to give Tennessee a 14-12 lead midway through the first half
The Greeneville, Tennessee native joined Chris Lofton, Chaz Lanier and Santiago Vescovi in the elite group of Vols to hit triple-digit three-pointers in one season.
Chaz Lanier broke the Tennessee single-season three-point record a year ago when he made 123 triples. Chris Lofton hit over 100 three-pointers in three separate seasons, knocking down 118 as a senior, 114 as a sophomore ad 106 as a junior.
Santiago Vescovi reached the mark in the 2021-22 season, knocking down 102 triples alongside Kennedy Chandler and Zakai Zeigler.
With first made triple against Michigan, Gillespie passes Allan Houston and moves into the sixth spot for most made three-pointers in a single season.
The Second Team All-SEC selection entered the Elite Eight shooting 33.9% from three-point range this season. It’s a lower clip than last year at Maryland and two seasons ago at Belmont. However, he’s hit more three-pointers this season at Tennessee and the overall quality of look has been lower due to the attention opposing defenses are giving him.
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Ahead of the Michigan matchup, Gillespie was averaging 18.3 points along with 5.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
His value to Tennessee goes far beyond the stat sheet. Tennessee lacks other ball handlers and perimeter scorers, that forces the Vols to lean heavily on Gillespie every time out. The Vols excel when their senior point guard is on the court and struggle badly when he’s on the bench.
Gillespie was terrific last weekend in Philadelphia when Tennessee defeated Miami (Ohio) and Virginia to advance to the Sweet 16.
The All-SEC point guard combined for 50 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds and four steals in the two games. Gillespie was the third player in the modern era of the NCAA Tournament to total 50 points and 15 assists in his first two games, joining UConn’s Kemba Walker and Providence’s Billy Donovan.
Stay tuned to RockyTopInsider.com for complete coverage of Tennessee basketball’s Elite Eight matchup against Michigan.
