While most of the nation was locked into college football action on Saturday, SEC Basketball broadcaster Jimmy Dykes had his sights set on the Volunteers’ hoops team. Dykes was in Knoxville over the weekend with a first-hand view of Tennessee’s rebuilt roster as it prepares for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
The outgoing talent that Tennessee lost through graduation and the NBA Draft was well-documented over the offseason. For the first time in a long time, Tennessee will take the court without Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack on the roster. Tennessee also saw the departure of key players such as Jordan Gainey, Igor Milicic, and Chaz Lanier.
But where there were holes to fill, Tennessee went out and acquired some top-notch talent from the high school recruiting scene and the transfer portal. Tennessee’s two biggest additions, five-star freshman Nate Ament and Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie, are expected to be impact performers in their first season in Knoxville.
Both Ament and Gillespie garnered Dykes’ attention over the weekend as the SEC commentator sat down to watch a fall Tennessee basketball practice.
“Good day watching [Tennessee Basketball],” Dykes wrote in a social media post. “Gillespie and Ament are difference makers. Vols frontcourt is LOADED. Typical Barnes team. Physical and tough.”
Good day watching @Vol_Hoops …Gillespie and Ament are difference makers. Vols frontcourt is LOADED. Typical Barnes team. Physical and tough. pic.twitter.com/q3kQSGwzbT
— Jimmy Dykes (@CoachJimmyDykes) September 27, 2025
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While it may not be that many words, Dykes’ early assessment says a lot about where this Tennessee team is with the season around the corner. In particular, it’s the last six words that stand out. Based on summer practice observations and fall reports, we already had a good idea that Ament and Gillespie were going to be key contributors. They bring in loads of versatile talent and will likely end up being the two go-to guys when conference play hits in a few months.
But the statement of a “typical Barnes team” that is “physical and tough” is a great report from an analyst who has seen SEC basketball at its highest level. Dykes fully knows what Tennessee’s culture has been under Barnes, and believes that the upcoming team is on the same track.
When Tennessee lost Zeigler and Mashack in particular, it wasn’t just the on-court role that they had, but also the leadership that was brought to the table. Those are two guys who helped establish that physical and tough culture in Knoxville and could carry the torch with each iteration of the team, from the year of Julian Phillips to Dalton Knecht to Chaz Lanier.
But without a ton of carryover from last year’s team to this year’s team, it says a lot that Tennessee appears to be keeping its culture the same despite the influx of new talent. Rick Barnes’ style is well-documented at this point, and even without a ton of returning players, the new additions knew what was expected. They also knew how they would be pushed when signing on the dotted line to join the team in Knoxville.
It’s also a credit to returning players such as Cade Phillips, Felix Okpara, and JP Estrella for keeping the consistency going without the now-departed veterans.
Tennessee’s roster is going to look much different than it did last year, bringing in new players such as Gillespie, Ament, Amari Evans, Clarence Massamba, DeWayne Brown, Jaylen Carey, Troy Henderson, Ethan Burg, and Amaree Abram. It’s still unclear as to what the rotations and play-time distribution will actually look like once the season begins. But based on Dykes’ practice observations, the DNA of the program is still alive and well. Rick Barnes has established a tough, physical culture in Knoxville, and that doesn’t seem to be any different with a new, rebuilt roster in Knoxville.
Tennessee will host Duke in an exciting preseason exhibition game from the Food City Center on Sunday, Oct. 26, for the first chance at seeing the new-look Vols in action. From there, the Vols will host Mercer in the official season-opener on Nov. 3 in Knoxville.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for much more Tennessee Basketball coverage leading into the season in just over a month.
