After beating Auburn on Feb. 1, Rick Barnes joked that his players were gambling on games with the passes they were throwing.
When Tennessee basketball took down Oklahoma 89-66 on Wednesday, senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie gambled in a different way. He broke the Vols’ single-game record with eight steals against the Sooners.
And he did it ethically.
“I was really gambling a lot,” Gillespie said. “My teammates have my back. But I would say just if they’re looking straight at the rim, not even worry about who’s in the gap, just going and getting it instead of staying on my own man.”
Gillespie gave Oklahoma fits through his 37 minutes on the court. He posted 16 points and eight assists to pair with a lone turnover for Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC).
But his defensive effort pushed him past a seven-person logjam of former players with seven steals in a game. That list included fellow Tennesseeans Kennedy Chandler, LaMarcus Golden, Vincent Yarbrough and Clarence Swearengen.
“I mean, it’s definitely special just to be in the history books here,” Gillespie said. “Hopefully it lasts long, but yeah, I mean it’s definitely special and especially because I’m from here.”
He did so by jumping passing lanes. He also ripped the ball away from unsuspecting Sooners.
Jadon Jones corralled the ball right outside the restricted area with 14:25 remaining in the first half. Felix Okpara was the first defender to him, while Gillespie came as additional help. He saw Jones attempt to move the ball up for a shot and took his chance to rip it away.
Gillespie ran the floor for an easy lay-in.
With 9:46 left in the first half, Gillespie pickpocketed Jones again. He came from the backside and poked it away, leading to a basket by DeWayne Brown II on the other end.
It was part of a night where Tennessee put up 31 points off turnovers.
“I thought he was just mentally it slowed down,” Barnes said. “A lot of things slowed down for him.”
Six of Gillespie’s eight steals led directly to baskets on the ensuing possession. One resulted in a foul where Gillespie drilled both free throws. The outlier takeaway needed an offensive rebound before Nate Ament cashed in a jumper.
All eight Gillespie steals contributed to points.
“For Ja’Kobi seeing it, I think he’s seeing the game the way that he needs to see it,” Barnes said. “And defensively, he does have great instincts, and he’s quick. You guys see if he’s that quick on offense, he should be that quick on defense. And he’s getting himself in the right position, which is obviously important.”
His quickness on offense also led to his only turnover. Gillespie ran the wing on a three-on-two breakaway when Dayton Forsythe knocked the ball away from him. But the senior guard kept the motor running. And he got himself in position for another knockaway near midcourt — leading to a layup by Jaylen Carey that gave Tennessee a 53-36 lead off a 7-0 run to begin the second half.
That positioning began with his ferocity to avoid the screener. Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser saw those attributes stand out.
“I thought Gillespie and (Bishop) Boswell refused to get screened,” Moser said. “I love that trait about those guys. That’s a great trait. They refuse to get screened.”
It’s an important step for a team that has won seven of its last eight games. It’s a leap for a staff that has instilled in Gillespie that he is more than just an offensive threat.
“I think it shows what we’ve been trying to tell him,” Barnes said. “He’s a complete player if he wants to be.”
