Chaz Lanier, a standout guard for the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team, has been named one of five finalists for the prestigious Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Jerry West Award, established in 2015, honors the top shooting guard in Division I men’s college basketball. It is named after the legendary Hall of Famer Jerry West, a 1959 NCAA Final Four MVP and an icon of the game.
Lanier has shined in his lone season with the Volunteers, averaging 17.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. His scoring average ranks fifth in the SEC, while his sharpshooting from beyond the arc has been exceptional. Lanier ranks fourth nationally with 3.41 made three-pointers per game and boasts a 40.7% success rate from deep, placing him among the top marksmen in college basketball.
A Nashville native, Lanier transferred to Tennessee after four stellar years at North Florida. This season, he has been a consistent offensive force for the Vols, scoring in double figures in 27 of 29 games. He has reached the 20-point mark 11 times and eclipsed 25 points on five occasions. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, earning him three SEC Player of the Week honors and two USBWA National Player of the Week accolades.
Lanier joins an elite group of finalists for the Jerry West Award, including Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe, Memphis’ P.J. Haggerty, Texas’ Tre Johnson, and Arizona’s Caleb Love. With Zakai Zeigler also being named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, Tennessee is the only program in the nation with players recognized in both backcourt categories.
Fans can participate in the voting process starting March 7 at hoophallawards.com, where their votes will count as one of the official selection committee’s votes. The award winner will be announced during the Final Four weekend in April, alongside the winners of the other “Men’s Starting Five” awards, which recognize the top players at each position.
Lanier and the fourth-ranked Volunteers (24-5, 11-5 SEC) are back in action Wednesday night as they face Ole Miss in Oxford, with the game airing live on ESPN2.
