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Two Tennessee Basketball players projected to be All-Americans this season

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/29/24•

GrantRamey

Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Basketball | Andrew Ferguson, Tennessee Athletics
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Basketball | Andrew Ferguson, Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Basketball has two player on track for All-American status, according to one early prediction. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein last week projected point guard Zakai Zeigler as a first-team All-American and transfer shooting guard Chaz Lanier as a second-team All-American. 

The pair have led the Vols (12-0) to their second best start in program history — the 1915-16 team went 12-0 during a 12-game season while the 1922-23 team holds the program record with a 14-0 start — and to the No. 1 ranking in the polls for just the third time.

Tennessee has been ranked No. 1 the last three weeks and will look to continue its perfect start against Norfolk State (8-6) on Tuesday afternoon in a 3 p.m. Eastern Time start (SEC Network+) at Food City Center. 

Chaz Lanier leading Tennessee in scoring at 18.9 points per game

Lanier is Tennessee’s leading scorer at 18.9 points per game while shooting 45.1% from the field on 182 attempts and 47.4% from the 3-point line on 95 attempts.

Zeigler is averaging 11.4 points, 7.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. 

“The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year has separated himself as the sport’s best two-way floor general,” Rothstein wrote of Zeigler. “A tenacious defender, the 5-9 Zeigler may not have the pizzazz of some of the other elite point guards in the sport, but none are better at running a team and taking away an opponent at the other end of the floor. 

“Zeigler is currently averaging a career-highs in both assists (7.6) and rebounds (3.7).”

Zeigler had a career-high 15 assists in the win over Middle Tennessee State on December 23. He was one assist shy of a triple-double — it would’ve been just the second triple-double in program history — when he had 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists against Western Carolina on December 17. 

Zeigler has recorded six or more assists in all but one game so far this season. 

Dalton Knecht was a consensus First Team All-American last season

Lanier last season at North Florida was the most efficient scorer in college basketball, scoring 1.20 points per possession after averaging 19.5 points per game on 16.3 possessions per game. 

The production followed Lanier to Tennessee, where he has scored 17 or more points in all but two games this season. 

“For the second straight year,” Rothstein wrote, “the Vols have landed the most productive player in the transfer portal. Just like Dalton Knecht last season, the 6-4 Lanier has quickly cemented himself as the go-to scorer in Knoxville and one of the best players in the sport. 

“He’s scored 22 or more points in four of his first 11 games and has had six games during that span where he’s made four or more three-point shots. Lanier — who transferred from North Florida — is the type of player that rolls out of bed and scores in double figures.”

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