Chaz Lanier wins prestigious Jerry West Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee basketball sharpshooter Chaz Lanier has garnered a coveted national award for his stellar play on Rocky Top.
Lanier was named the Jerry West Award winner live during ESPN College GameDay on Saturday ahead of the Final Four games. The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame has awarded the distinction to the best shooting guard in college basketball for the last 11 seasons as part of the Naismith Starting Five.
Greeneville native Ja'Kobi Gillespie commits to Tennessee after helping Maryland to Sweet 16
This marks the second straight season that a Tennessee Volunteer has earned a spot in the Naismith Starting Five. Dalton Knecht won the 2023-2024 Julius Erving Award as the nation's best small forward.
Lanier averaged 18 points per game this season after transferring from North Florida. He set a new program record for most three-pointers in a single season with 123, the sixth-best mark of any single season in SEC history. The Nashville native was also named a Wooden Award All-American and SEC Newcomer of the Year among several other plaudits.
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Tennessee finished the season with a 30-8 record and spent the entire year inside the AP top 12. They reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, a first in men's program history.
'I want to start by thanking the West family and the selection committee for naming me the recipient of this incredible distinction,' Lanier said. 'It is a true privilege to win the Jerry West Award and I am deeply honored. I would not be in this position without God and the support of my family, my coaches, my teammates and the fans. Representing the University of Tennessee this year has been special and this accolade is not just about me, but about all of us who contributed to such an awesome season.'
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