Two Tennessee basketball players landed on the All-SEC Defensive Team on Monday afternoon. The league’s coaches voted both point guard Zakai Zeigler and power forward Jonas Aidoo on the five-player All-Defensive team for their play this season.
Zeigler earned the SEC’s top defensive award, becoming the second ever Tennessee basketball player to earn the SEC Defensive Player of the Year honor.
The junior point guard sets the tone for Tennessee’s third-ranked defense nationally. He defends for 94-feet and makes life difficult on defending guards. Zeigler totaled a team-best 58 steals (1.9 SPG) over the course of the season including 38 steals (2.1 SPG) in SEC play.
Zeigler joins former power forward Yves Pons as the only Tennessee player to earn SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Pons blocked 73 shots on his way to winning the top defensive award during the 2019-20 season.
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Jonas Aidoo enters the postseason with 60 blocks (1.9 BPG) so far this season and is one of the best rim protectors in the SEC. Aidoo was even better defending the rim in SEC play, totaling 40 blocks (2.2 BPG).
Aidoo’s 60 blocks this season currently is tied for fifth most in a single season in program history. Pons and C.J. Black (1997-98) are tied for the single-season program record at 73. If Tennessee makes a run in the SEC and NCAA Tournament, Aidoo has a real chance to claim the record.
The junior power forward has been a key piece of Tennessee’s improvement this season. He ranks third in the SEC in blocks behind Auburn’s Johni Broome and Ole Miss’ Jamarion Sharp. Broome is the only player that has more blocks in SEC play than Aidoo this season.
Both Zeigler and Aidoo landed on the All-SEC teams as well as the All-Defensive team. Zeigler landed on the first team while Aidoo landed on the second team. Both players are looking to continue their strong seasons on both ends of the court at this week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.
