KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Jahmai Mashack of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is the Field of 68 National Defensive Player of the Year, as announced Monday morning.
This is the first such nationwide defensive recognition, from any outlet, in program history.
A senior guard, Mashack ranks second nationally with a 7.1 defensive box plus-minus, per College Basketball Reference. His 6.26 career mark is eighth-best at the Division I level (min. 50 games played) over the last 15 seasons (2010-25), including second-best among active players.
Alongside fellow senior guard Zakai Zeigler, Mashack was one of 15 players tabbed to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
Mashack’s performance has aided fourth-ranked Tennessee (25-6, 12-6 SEC) to the third 25-win regular season in program history and to a top-eight ranking 15 weeks in a row, with 10 in the top five and five at No. 1 overall.
The Volunteers, buoyed by Mashack’s elite capabilities, rank first in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency They have been top-three in all four of Mashack’s seasons, finishing first in 2022-23.
Mashack’s play has also helped Tennessee rank first nationally in field-goal percentage defense (37.7), first in effective field-goal percentage defense (44.0), second in 3-point percentage defense (27.7) and seventh in scoring defense (61.9).
Along with recording 49 steals and 19 blocks this year, Mashack is consistently tabbed with guarding the opposing team’s best scoring threat. He has adeptly defended players at all five positions throughout the course of the season, too.
According to Synergy, opponents shot 32.8 percent against him when he was the primary defender. Only three individuals—just one came in 24 games versus Power Six competition—scored eight-plus points against him, with just one eclipsing 12. He held opposing players to 41.0 percent shooting at the rim and did not concede a single dunk on the year.
Mashack also led the vaunted Tennessee defense with 6.7 deflections per game and 9.5 deflections per 40 minutes.
The Fontana, Calif., native ranks No. 16 in career steal percentage (3.67) among SEC competitors (min. 50 games played) over the last 15 years (2010-25). Just five players active in the league are in the top 25.
Field of 68 also tabbed fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier a Third Team All-American. Two days prior, he collected Second Team All-America status from College Hoops Today, which named Zeigler an All-America Honorable Mention.
Mashack and the Volunteers open SEC Tournament play Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., live on ESPN against a to-be-determined opponent.
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.
