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Tennessee Basketball Duo Named Finalists for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two University of Tennessee men's basketball players, Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler, have been named finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, as announced Friday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
This marks the first time in the award’s history—established in 2017-18—that two players from the same team are among the final four. They join Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton) and Joseph Tugler (Houston) in contention for the honor.
Mashack, a senior guard from Fontana, Calif., boasts a defensive-box plus-minus (DBPM) of 6.6, ranking fourth nationally. He earned SEC All-Defensive Team recognition, holding opponents to 32.8% shooting as the primary defender. He is also one of only five Power Five players with at least 55 steals and 20 blocks this season.
Zeigler, a 5-foot-9 guard from Long Island, N.Y., holds Tennessee’s program record for career steals (247), ranking 10th in SEC history. A four-time SEC All-Defensive Team honoree and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, he has 64 steals this season, ranking third in the conference.
Thanks to their defensive presence, Tennessee ranks third in the nation in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency (89.5) and excels in multiple defensive metrics, including 3-point percentage defense (28.2%) and field-goal percentage defense (38.3%).
The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year winner will be announced April 6 in San Antonio during Final Four weekend.
Mashack, Zeigler, and No. 6 Tennessee (28-7, 12-6 SEC) will face seventh-seeded UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Saturday at 9:40 p.m. at Rupp Arena. The game will air on TNT and truTV.
For updates, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter or /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
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