Ja'Kobi Gillespie proving he's comfortable as Maryland's new starting point guard
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Dec 24, 2024
- 4 min read
If you asked Ja’Kobi Gillespie one thing he was hoping for before he began his Maryland career, it wouldn’t take long before he pointed to getting comfortable with his new teammates.
"I feel like we're definitely getting way better together, just learning each other and learning to give each other the ball and kind of space out, learning all that together," Gillespie said back in November.
After all, it was Gillespie’s turn to run Maryland’s offense after head coach Kevin Willard and his staff zeroed in on the Belmont guard once he became available back on March 19. And after Jahmir Young departed the program after exhausting his eligibility, many assumed Gillespie would be tasked with replacing the bulk of the missing production.
“When you lose Jahmir Young – you're not going to replace Jahmir,” head coach Kevin Willard said ahead of the season opener. “We didn't want to put the pressure on Ja’Kobi, like, Hey, you have to go out do what Jahmir did. But we needed to find someone that was going to be able to make open shots with Derik and JuJu in the post, be a very high percentage off catch and shoot, which Ja’Kobi was, but also a guy that could run the show but also move to the two-guard spot at times and be a little bit more of a scorer.”
Through his first 12 games in College Park, Gillespie has been exactly that.
Per EvanMiya, Gillespie enters the non-conference finale one of two Big Ten guards alongside Penn State guard Ace Baldwin ranked inside the top-ten nationally in both offensive and overall efficiency. Gillespie’s 4.2 assists per game rank ninth in the Big Ten, while his 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is good for 18th nationally and tied for the fourth-highest mark among any non-senior in the country. Gillespie also sits second nationally in plus-minus (+259), and on Saturday, he turned in his first double-double in a Maryland uniform after posting 17 points and 11 assists in 31 minutes vs. Syracuse with his effortless behind-the-back pass to Selton Miguel in stride for a deep three one of the highlights at the Barclays Center.
That’s not to say Gillespie is the sole reason for Maryland basketball’s early season success. Derik Queen has lived up to the billing as a freshman phenom after totaling five 20-point performances through his first ten games. All five starters are averaging double figures and shooting at least 44% from the field, though Rodney Rice is the lone starter shooting under 50% so far this season. In fact, Maryland's post-Marquette starting lineup remains one of the most efficient in the country, ranked eighth nationally and leading the Big Ten in efficiency margin, per EvanMiya.
Maryland also has four different players shooting at least 40% from three - not including Ben Murphy who drilled his lone three-point attempt vs. Canisius. Rice has stepped up to stretch the floor as he’s drilled two or more threes in nine of 12 games this season, giving Willard the improved shooting that he and his staff prioritized this offseason. That's positioned the Terps' offense among the most prolific to open the year as they're tied with Missouri for the ninth-most (87.8) nationally.
But for a point guard whose biggest question was whether his skillset would translate to a high major, Gillespie has quieted any skepticism through the first two months of the season.
“If I touch the paint I know I can kick it out to [Selton], Rodney or dump it off to [Julian Reese] and [Derik Queen],” Gillespie said after the Syracuse win.
Maryland’s improved depth has also shined through the first third of the season with Jay Young, Tafara Gapare and Malachi Palmer all averaging ten or more minutes, adding another combined 13 points per game.
“I think the biggest thing is again, getting the bench points that we're getting. I know what we're going to get with that starting five – that starting five has been one of the most efficient starting fives in the country,” Willard said following the win vs. Saint Francis. “From a plus minus, from everything, they've been great. I think the biggest thing is when I get Jayhlon [Young] in there, when I get Tafara [Gapare] in there, when I get Jordan [Geronimo] in there. I think Malachi [Palmer] is really one of those guys I got to find more time for. That second line coming in and they can pick us up defensively, but if they can score and shoot like they're doing, then it's really going to help us.”
With the rotation set to tighten following Saturday’s non-conference finale vs. UMES, all eyes will stay on the starting five as buzz builds around the team’s potential as they now sit just four points away from their first AP ranking in nearly two years.
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