The top national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 9 has been recognized as Chaz Lanier from Tennessee.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard hails from Nashville and previously played four seasons at North Florida, earning accolades as a two-time All-Atlantic Sun selection.
Upon returning to Tennessee for his final collegiate year, Lanier seized the opportunity to shine, leading the top-ranked Volunteers to two impressive victories last week.
He showcased his scoring ability by hitting six 3-pointers and racking up 24 points in a game against Norfolk State.
The highlight of his week came when he made five 3-point shots and scored 29 points in a dominant 76-52 victory over then-No. 23 Arkansas, marking his inaugural game in the Southeastern Conference.
Currently, Lanier boasts an impressive average of 20.3 points per game, which is the highest in the league, and he ranks second in the nation with an average of four 3-pointers per game.
Lanier is the second consecutive Tennessee player to earn this honor, following Zakai Zeigler, who received the recognition on New Year’s Eve.

As the runner-up for this week’s honor is Malik Thomas from San Francisco.
The 6-foot-5 guard, who transferred to the Dons after two seasons at USC, had an explosive week, averaging 30.7 points across three games.
He led with an impressive 34 points and eight rebounds in an overtime win against Santa Clara, where he also went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
In addition, Thomas notched 24 points in a victory over Pacific before closing out the week with another standout performance against Washington State, scoring 34 points while contributing three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Honorable mentions for the week include Koby Brea from Kentucky, Javon Small from West Virginia, and Ace Bailey from Rutgers.

Additionally, keep an eye on Oscar Cluff of South Dakota State, a 6-foot-11 forward from Australia.
After spending last season at Washington State, Cluff has made an impact with the Jackrabbits.
He scored 21 points and collected 15 rebounds in a challenging game against No. 5 Alabama, despite a 105-82 loss.
Following that performance, Cluff exploded for 30 points, making 10 of 13 shots from the field, and secured 19 rebounds in just 24 minutes during a 91-70 victory over Denver.