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Tennessee basketball has been very active so far in the transfer portal, and now the Vols are trending to land one of the top remaining players on the market. After losing star point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rick Barnes and company have been targeting former VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr.
Hill has been courted by both Kansas and Tennessee this offseason, taking visits to both schools. In the end, the Vols won out and have now landed a commitment from Hill to add to a massive backcourt haul this offseason, via On3 Sports.
The role that Gillespie took in the Tennessee offense last season after transferring in from Maryland can serve as a blueprint for what Hill can be next season now that he has decided to come to Knoxville. Gillespie was one of the best point guards in the country by the end of the season and served as the engine for the Volunteers’ offense.
Hill certainly has the ability to do just that after leading a very good VCU team in scoring at 15 points per game in 2025-26. He saved his best game for the biggest moment of his season, dropping 34 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina to get the Rams into the second round.
Tennessee already has a loaded transfer portal class this offseason. Guards Dai Dai Ames (Cal) and Tyler Lundblade (Belmont) both starred at their last stops, and Notre Dame forward Jalen Haralson gives Tennessee some scoring punch in the front court. With the Vols likely losing Nate Ament along with Gillespie, the portal was always going to have to be the solution to building next year’s team, and Barnes is knocking it out of the park.
On paper, Hill fits well with Tennessee’s other guard additions this offseason. Despite losing a good amount of talent from last year’s team that went to the Elite Eight, Barnes should still have a very good roster next season as he looks for his fourth consecutive trip to the Elite Eight.
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