Maryland Basketball: Ja'Kobi Gillespie makes watchlist for prestigious award
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The Maryland Terrapins certainly got a good one from the transfer portal, as Ja'Kobi Gillespie is starting to assert himself as one of the the top point guards in the country. After spending his first two years at Belmont, Gillespie transferred to Maryland and has been a key figure in elevating the Terrapins to one of the top teams in the Big Ten conference.
Through 22 games this season, Gillespie is No. 2 on the team in points per game (14.6), No. 1 in assists per game (4.7), and No. 1 in steals per game (1.9). For his efforts, Gillespie was recently named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watchlist, an annual award given to the most outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
Much deserved appreciation for Mr. Gillespie!
— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) February 3, 2025
Gillespie has been on a tear as of late, scoring 14 points or more in the last eight games for the Terrapins and averaging 17.8 points per game during that stretch. He set a new career high back on Jan. 10 against No. 22 UCLA, pouring in 27 points.
Here's a closer look at his most notable accomplishments during his junior season in College Park so far, courtesy of UMTerps.com:
- Finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a big win at home over #17 Wisconsin (1/29).
- Posted 18 points along with nine assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in a game against Indiana (1/26).
- In 36 minutes of game time he contributed 15 points, eight assists, three steals, three rebounds, and one block in a road win over #17 Illinois (1/23).
- Reached the 1000 career points milestone (1/19).
- Racked up 22 points, five assists, and four steals in a win over Nebraska (1/19).
- Played 40 of 45 minutes of game time, contributing 14 points, four assists, three steals, and two rebounds in an away game against Northwestern (1/16).
- Contributed 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and one steal in 35 minutes of playing time against Minnesota (1/13).
- Shot 9-9 from the FG range putting up a season-high 27 points and four steals along with four assists, two rebounds, and one block in a big win over #22 UCLA (1/10).
- Added 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in a game against #9 Oregon (1/5).
- Finished with nine points, nine assists, two rebounds, and two steals in a win over UMES (12/28).
- Played an extremely productive game with a double-double of 17 points and 11 assists, alongside five rebounds and three steals against Syracuse (12/21).
- Put up 11 points, six assists, two rebounds, and two steals in a big win over St. Francis PA (12/17).
- Alongside a steal and four assists, he contributed 18 points in a close loss against #8 Purdue (12/8).
- Scored a crucial 23 points in a big win against Ohio State, going 7-11 from the FG range, along with four assists, and a steal (12/4).
- Contributed 12 points, making it his sixth game in a row scoring double digits. He also added 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals during a win against Villanova (11/24).
- Racked up 10 points, two steals, three rebounds, and six assists in a win against Canisius (11/19).
- Tied for the team-leading scorer with 24 points, knocking down four threes against #15 Marquette, alongside four rebounds and a pair of steals (11/15).
- Finished with 12 points while contributing five rebounds and three steals against Florida A&M (11/11).
- Scored 13 points while contributing one steal against Mount St. Mary’s (11/8).
- Made his Maryland debut against Manhattan where he dropped 16 points and a team high five assists (11/4).
- Enjoy more Maryland coverage on Maryland Terrapins On SI -
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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