In a thrilling twist of events, Texas basketball's Dailyn Swain and Tennessee's Ja’Kobi Gillespie have both made headlines in the SEC Newcomer of the Year race. On Monday, SEC coaches awarded Swain the honor, while the Associated Press gave Gillespie the nod on Tuesday.
This marks the third consecutive year a Tennessee player has snagged the AP SEC Newcomer of the Year title. Ja’Kobi Gillespie follows in the footsteps of shooting guard Chaz Lanier from the 2024-25 season and Dalton Knecht from 2023-24.
Gillespie has been a standout for Tennessee, leading the team in both scoring and assists during the regular season. He averaged 18 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. His performance placed him second in the SEC for both assists and steals, and he was a force in SEC play with averages of 18.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.7 steals per game.
The senior point guard was a model of consistency, scoring in double figures in 17 of 18 SEC games. His only single-digit game was against South Carolina, where he dished out a career-high 12 assists with just one turnover. Gillespie also had six games with over 20 points, including a standout 34-point game against Texas and a 26-point effort against Alabama.
Meanwhile, Texas’ Dailyn Swain made a compelling case for the award himself, averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in SEC play.
Despite Gillespie's recognition as the newcomer of the year, he was named to the Second Team All-SEC by the AP, alongside teammate Nate Ament. Both players shouldered significant offensive responsibilities for Tennessee, with JP Estrella being the next highest scorer at 10 points per game. Beyond these three, no other player averaged more than eight points per game for the Vols.
Tennessee wrapped up their SEC campaign with an 11-7 record, earning them the fifth seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville. They are set to kick off their tournament run on Thursday afternoon against the winner of the Auburn-Mississippi State matchup.