Zakai Zeigler Leads Tennessee’s SEC Award Winners with First-Team and Defensive Honors

Zakai Zeigler headlined several Volunteers honored by the Southeastern conferences yearly basketball awards.

Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler (5) dribbles up the court during a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, March 8, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Zakai Zeigler was named to the All-SEC first team and SEC defensive player of the year for the second straight season. Chaz Lanier was named as the SEC newcomer of the year and was on the All-SEC second team. Jahmai Mashak rounded out the list of Volunteers honored by the SEC by joining Zeigler on the SEC All-Defensive team. 

Zeigler is having the best year of his career, averaging 13.1 points and a conference-leading 7.5 assists. However, those stats only show how he impacts the game on the offensive side of the ball, and even though the stats are impressive, he arguably makes a larger impact on defense. 

The awards are voted on by all of the SEC coaches who, for the second season in a row, decided Zeigler was the best defensive player in the entire conference. Zeigler has helped the Volunteers have the most efficient defense in the country. 

Even though Zeigler is the SEC defensive player of the year, he can’t do everything for the number one defense in the country. Enter Mashak. The 6-foot-4 guard has been a nightmare for opposing offenses. His ability to defend almost every position on the court is what earned him a place on the SEC All-Defensive team. 

Lanier has been a sparkplug for the Volunteers' offense all season. After spending four years playing for North Florida, the Nashville native is leading the Volunteers in scoring. For his efforts, he earned the SEC Newcomer of the Year award and is also in the conversation for National Transfer of the Year. 

This marks another year the Volunteers had multiple players receive All-SEC honors. With the SEC tournament in full swing, the Volunteers will look to make a push towards an SEC championship before turning their attention to March Madness. 

The Volunteers' first game in the SEC tournament will be on Friday, March 14th, at 3:30 pm against an opponent yet to be determined.

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