KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The SEC announced Thursday afternoon the results of the men’s basketball preseason voting by the league’s 16 head coaches.
Freshman forward Nate Ament and senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie both collected Preseason Second Team All-SEC plaudits. That matched their selections from the league’s media, as announced Oct. 13.
As was the case on the media list, Tennessee and Florida were the only two schools with multiple first- or second-team designees from the coaches.
A 6-foot-10, 207-pounder out of Manassas, Va., Ament is the third top-five recruit in Tennessee history. He competed in the McDonald’s All-American Game—the 13th Volunteer to do so— in 2025, the Jordan Brand Classic in 2025, the Nike Hoop Summit in 2025, the Summer Slam Classic in 2024 (MVP) and the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in 2024 (gold medal).
Ament has already been selected as one of 20 individuals on the NABC National Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. He is also a member of the Julius Erving Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List. Both designations were announced Thursday.
A 6-foot-1, 188-pounder who hails from nearby Greeneville, Tenn., Gillespie earned Third Team All-Big Ten accolades from both the media and the coaches last year as a junior at Maryland. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 31.6 minutes per game for the Terrapins, shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from deep and 86.2 percent at the stripe.
Gillespie, who was tabbed Monday as part of the Bob Cousy Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List, was a Second Team All-MVC honoree as a sophomore at Belmont in 2023-24. That year, he produced 17.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 31.4 minutes per game, while shooting 56.1 percent overall, 38.7 percent beyond the arc and 83.1 percent at the line.
Ament, Gillespie and No. 18/17 Tennessee begin the 2025-26 regular season with a Monday evening matchup against Mercer, slated for 7 p.m. at Food City Center, live on SEC Network+.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Preseason First Team All-SEC
Alex Condon – Florida
Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State
Otega Oweh – Kentucky
Tahaad Pettiford – Auburn
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama
Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Nate Ament – Tennessee
Malik Dia – Ole Miss
Boogie Fland – Florida
Ja’Kobi Gillespie – Tennessee
Mark Mitchell – Missouri
Preseason Third Team All-SEC
Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas
Thomas Haugh – Florida
Aden Holloway – Alabama
Karter Knox – Arkansas
D.J. Wagner – Arkansas
Preseason SEC Player of the Year
Otega Oweh – Kentucky
