LEXINGTON, KY. — Last week, after his team beat Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament, Texas coach Rodney Terry was asked about Tennessee, the Longhorns’ next opponent.
Terry’s initial response was said in jest – or maybe it wasn’t. His team had played against Vols point guard Zakai Zeigler more than enough to suit him. He wasn’t eager to do it again.
“We’re happy to see him graduate,” Terry said.
Zeigler, a 5-foot-9 senior, is not going to be able to torment Terry anymore, but his college career isn’t over and there’s a possibility another SEC coach whose team is in the NCAA Tournament will have to game plan for him.
At least they won’t have to go digging for game film.
Thursday night, the little man who bet on himself and won led Tennessee, seeded second in the Midwest Regional, to a 77-62 victory over Wofford. Zeigler turned in a performance for the ages, and in so doing, broke Johnny Darden’s school career record for assists (the record was 715; Zeigler now has 726). Zeigler dropped 12 dimes and didn’t commit a turnover. He also scored 12 points to extend his school record for points-assists double-doubles to 12.
After the game, he was surprised to be greeted by none other than Darden, whose final season at UT was 1978-79.
“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” Zeigler said. “But then I remembered I met his daughter walking around before a football game. She told me they’ll be there the day I break the record.”
Darden gave Zeigler the appropriate accolades, then a directive.
“He said he was glad I broke the record and he’s enjoyed watching me play,” Zeigler said. “And then he told me I need to get this team to the Final Four.
“I’m going to take that advice. I’m going to do the best I can do.”
Zeigler, a consensus third-team All-American and a two-time SEC defensive player of the year, has been doing the best he can since he set foot on Tennessee’s campus. It’s a familiar story by now, but Zeigler – who is from New York City – was unsigned before deciding in the summer of 2021 to play in the Peach Jam tournament. Without a scholarship in hand, it was either impress a coach at the Peach Jam or head to prep school.
Zeigler did impress a coach — Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, who already had a five-star freshman point guard, Kennedy Chandler, on his roster. Barnes and his staff assumed they would redshirt Zeigler, but after one day of practice they knew that wasn’t going to happen. Zeigler has made Barnes look good ever since.
“It’s one of the best stories I’ve heard of since I’ve been coaching,” Barnes said. “He comes in and through hard work and the willingness to be coached, turns himself into an elite point guard. He’s tough and competitive. He’s never afraid of the moment.”
Tennessee’s staff, notably strength and conditioning coach Garrett Medenwald, had some work to do. Medenwald loves to recite the numerical evidence of Zeigler’s evolution.
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“Since he’s been here, he’s gained 24-and-a-half pounds (he’s listed now at 172 pounds),” Medenwald said. “He’s gained 4.6 inches on his vertical leap. Just look at his movement. He’s a 5-9 guard who’s able to be the defensive player of the year — twice — in the SEC. His movement quality and his ability to explode and cut guys off and his ability to get in the paint are elite. It’s a real testament to what he’s done physically and the amount of work he’s put in.”
Zeigler’s teammates, used to watching him every day in practice, are in awe of what he’s been able to accomplish.
“He does a lot of things at an elite level,” said 6-foot-4 senior guard Jahmai Mashack. “Driving the ball, dishing the ball, making smart reads – honestly, I’m not surprised by anything he’s doing.”
Zeigler isn’t surprised, either. The man has “Bet On Yourself” tattooed on his back. But the awards, the school records, the incredible story of being plucked out of the Peach Jam … it’s all a bit much for him to wrap his mind around.
“It might take a couple of months after the tournament for it to sink in,” Zeigler said. “But I feel blessed for all that’s come my way, and I’m thankful Coach Barnes saw something in me.”
Barnes, notoriously tough on his point guards, hasn’t had to be too hard on Zeigler.
“He gets on me from time to time,” Zeigler says. “Sometimes he might not say something exactly to me, but I know he’s talking about me. He might throw a shot here or there. But he understands – and I understand – if I mess up, he doesn’t have to say something because I might already know.”
The relationship has benefited both. Zeigler has helped lead the Vols to the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive seasons and Zeigler is a player who will go down in Tennessee lore.
“Coach Barnes helped me become a point guard,” Zeigler said. “Coming in, I was an undersized two-guard. He helped me develop into one of the best point guards in the country. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
