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Tennessee's Jahmai Mashack selected with final pick in NBA Draft

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey06/27/25GrantRamey
Jahmai Mashack, Tennessee Basketball | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
(Randy Sartin-Imagn Images) Mar 1, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) celebrates with guard Jahmai Mashack (15) Mashack hit a game winning three pointer against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

Jahmai Mashack on Thursday night was the final pick in the NBA Draft, going at No. 59 overall to the Houston Rockets, with the pick being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Chaz Lanier was selected earlier in the second round at No. 37 overall to the Detroit Pistons.

Mashack, the 6-foot-4, 202-pound Fontana, Calif., native, was considered one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball last season while averaging 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 38 games as a senior with the Vols. 

He was named to the SEC’s All-Defensive Team and was the Field of 68’s National Defensive Player of the Year, while also winning the Torchbearer Award, the top honor for a student at the University of Tennessee. 

Jahmai Mashack ‘might be one of the best perimeter defenders on the planet’

“Mashack was the best defensive player in college basketball this year,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote of Mashack in his NBA Draft profile, “and might be one of the best perimeter defenders on the planet right now. This is not an exaggeration.”

Mashack averaged 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 137 games at Tennessee over the last four seasons. He left the Vols tied with Zakai Zeigler for the most wins (109) for a four-year player in men’s basketball program history. 

Mashack also appeared in the most NCAA Tournament wins (9) and tournament games (13) in program history and set the program record for total steals (18) and single-game steals (5) in NCAA Tournament games. 

Tennessee’s NBA Draft history, picks during the Rick Barnes era

Lanier and Mashack on Thursday night became the ninth and 10th Tennessee players drafted during the Rick Barnes era. Last year Dalton Knecht became the highest selection at No. 17 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Keon Johnson went at No. 21 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2021 NBA Draft, followed by Jaden Springer at No. 28 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. Julian Phillips was picked at No. 35 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2023 and Kennedy Chandler went at No. 38 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022.

Tennessee had three players selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. Grant Williams went at No. 22 overall to the Boston Celtics, Admiral Schofield went at No. 42 overall to the Washington Wizards and Jordan Bone was No. 57 pick to the Detroit Pistons.

There have been 55 Tennessee players drafted dating back to 1948. There have been 12 Vols picked in the first round, with Barnes responsible for four.

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