Tennessee basketball may have found its replacement for All-SEC point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie.
The Vols added a fourth player from the transfer portal with a commitment from Terrence Hill Jr. of VCU on April 19. They needed a lead guard to run the offense with Gillespie out of eligibility.
"Terrence comes from a great family and we are pleased to welcome them all to the Tennessee basketball program," coach Rick Barnes said in a school release on April 20. "He is a focused, mature and committed person who possesses clear leadership qualities. We are bringing Terrence here to make an immediate, significant impact and we feel great about his ability to do so.
"He is a dynamic player with speed, quickness, a strong basketball IQ and extreme confidence. Terrence can separate off the bounce and can put the ball in the basket from all three levels. He will mesh well with the way we run our offense."
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesTennessee forward DeWayne Brown II (6) moves towards the basket while guarded by Texas forward Camden Heide (5) in an NCAA college basketball game on January 6, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn.Tennessee guard Troy Henderson (24) dribbles past Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026.Feb 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives to the basket as Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn ImagesJan 2, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) looks to drive around Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Braeden Shrewsberry (11) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn ImagesBelmont's Tyler Lundblade, right, lines up one of his three-pointers against Bradley in the second half of their MVC basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at Carver Arena. Lundblade dropped eight three-pointers and the Braves fell to the Bruins 80-77.Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Loyola Chicago Ramblers center Miles Rubin (24) shoots the ball as VCU Rams forward Luke Bamgboye (9) defends in the first half in a semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesIMG's Ralph Scott blocks a dunk attempt at IMG Academy on Feb. 7, 2025.1 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsMar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images1 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsMar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) reacts against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images2 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsTennessee forward DeWayne Brown II (6) moves towards the basket while guarded by Texas forward Camden Heide (5) in an NCAA college basketball game on January 6, 2026, in Knoxville, Tenn.3 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsTennessee guard Troy Henderson (24) dribbles past Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026.4 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsFeb 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) drives to the basket as Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images5 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsJan 2, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (7) looks to drive around Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Braeden Shrewsberry (11) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images6 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsBelmont's Tyler Lundblade, right, lines up one of his three-pointers against Bradley in the second half of their MVC basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at Carver Arena. Lundblade dropped eight three-pointers and the Braves fell to the Bruins 80-77.7 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsMar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Loyola Chicago Ramblers center Miles Rubin (24) shoots the ball as VCU Rams forward Luke Bamgboye (9) defends in the first half in a semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images8 / 8Tennessee basketball 2026-27 roster for Rick Barnes with transfer portal additionsIMG's Ralph Scott blocks a dunk attempt at IMG Academy on Feb. 7, 2025.The 6-foot-3 Hill spent his first two seasons with the Rams. He improved drastically as a sophomore, jumping up from 3.4 points per game as a freshman to 15.0 points last season. Hill led VCU in scoring on 46.6% shooting from the floor and 37% from 3, and he averaged 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds.
Despite being the leading scorer, Hill only started in two out of 36 games last season, yet he was third on the team with 25 minutes per contest.
Hill flashed his elite shooting ability in VCU's 82-78 upset victory over North Carolina in the first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament. He scored 34 points, bucketed seven 3-pointers and added five rebounds and five assists.
The Rams lost by 21 points in the next round against Illinois, who made the Final Four, but Hill still finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Hill is the latest of Tennessee's growing list of offseason acquisitions. The Vols started with Belmont graduate transfer Tyler Lundblade and added a pair of Chicago natives in California guard Dai Dai Ames and Loyola center Miles Rubin. They also received commitments from Notre Dame forward Jalen Haralson and four-star high school prospect Chris Washington Jr.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes said about guard Terrence Hill Jr.