KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team both collected National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Third Team All-America recognition, as revealed Wednesday morning.
The NABC is one of four voting bodies—the others are the Associated Press, The Sporting News and the USBWA—whose All-America teams are formally recognized by the NCAA that also, in aggregate, determine the consensus All-Americans. It is the third of that quartet to release its selections.
Lanier and Zeigler both previously earned Third Team All-America distinction from The Sporting News, as announced March 12. They are the only teammate duo listed on the list from either outlet.
Additionally, Zeigler was named an Associated Press Third Team All-American, while Lanier collected Honorable Mention distinction.
The 28th and 29th official All-Americans in program history, Lanier and Zeigler form the second Volunteer pair to earn such status in the same campaign. They join Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King, who did so in both 1975-76 and 1976-77.
Lanier and Zeigler are both on the Wooden Award Top 15 National Ballot. They are one of three teammate duos to earn Naismith “Starting Five” finalist status, with Lanier in the final five for the Jerry West Award and Zeigler on the Bob Cousy Award list. Both were tabbed Tuesday as First Team NABC All-Central District selections.
A fifth-year guard, Lanier is averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game in his lone campaign at Tennessee after transferring in from North Florida. The AP First Team All-SEC designee is shooting 40.0 percent on 3-point attempts, with multiple makes in 29 of 34 outings, including four-plus in 13 and six-plus in four.
Lanier leads the SEC in total made 3-pointers (110) and made 3-pointers per game (3.24), as well as ranks third in 3-point percentage and total made field goals (215). The 6-foot-5, 207-pounder from Nashville, Tenn., is also fifth in the SEC in scoring average.
A senior guard, Zeigler owns averages of 13.8 points, 7.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game on the year. His assist mark is the best in the SEC for the third straight year and it also puts him fifth at the Division I level.
The 5-foot-9, 172-pounder from Long Island, N.Y., has distributed at least six assists in 27 of 33 appearances in 2024-25, with eight-plus in 16 and double digits in four, including reaching 15 twice. A two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-SEC pick, Zeigler is fourth in SEC history in career assists (714) and tied for No. 10 in steals (245).
Lanier, Zeigler and sixth-ranked Tennessee (27-7, 12-6 SEC) open NCAA Tournament action, seeded second, with a Round of 64 contest versus No. 15-seeded Wofford, live on TNT from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., with tip-off slated for Wednesday at 6:50 p.m.
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.
2024-25 NABC ALL-AMERICANS
FIRST TEAM
Johni Broome, Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Mark Sears, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
SECOND TEAM
Kam Jones, Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
R.J. Luis Jr., St. John’s
John Tonje, Wisconsin
J.T. Toppin, Texas Tech
THIRD TEAM
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Eric Dixon, Villanova
P.J. Haggerty, Memphis
Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
