Appreciation thread for the greatest PG in Vols history, Zakai Zeigler

[MoCo_Vol]

With at least 2 games left to play, Zakai currently has these stats:

Career:
1444 points
340 rebounds
696 assists (20 more to set all-time career record at UT)
239 steals (all-time career record at UT)
20 blocks

He has 224 assists on the season, 4 away from setting the single season record at UT.

He has played in 131 of 138 possible games in his time at TN.

Freshmen year coming off the bench he was part of the 27-8 Vols that won the first SECT Championship in 4 decades
Sophomore year his season was cut short after tearing his ACL, but the team went on to reach the Sweet Sixteen
Junior year part of an outright SEC regular season title season and an elite eight run only the 2nd in Vols history
Senior year part of a 25-6 regular season and one of the best starts in program history, spending 5 consecutive weeks as the #1 team in the AP Poll

HONORS​

• 2025 College Hoops Today All-America Honorable Mention
• 2025 Bob Cousy Award Finalist, Midseason Top 10 List & Preseason Top 20 Watch List
• 2025 Naismith Trophy Midseason Team & Preseason Watch List
• 2025 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
• 2025 USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List
• 2025 Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List
• 2025 The Athletic Midseason All-America Honorable Mention
• 2025 College Hoops Today Early Season First Team All-American
• AP National Player of the Week (12/31/24)
• SEC Player of the Week (12/30/24)
• 2025 Blue Ribbon Yearbook Preseason Second Team All-American
• 2025 Jay Bilas Preseason Third Team All-American
• 2025 Preseason First Team All-SEC (Media)
• 2025 Preseason First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2025 Lute Olson Player of the Year Watch List
• 2024 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
• 2024 First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2024 SEC All-Defensive Team (Coaches)
• 2024 Second Team All-SEC (AP)
• 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist & Watch List
• 2024 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Finalist
• 2024 NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team
• 2024 Bob Cousy PG Midseason Top 10 List & Preseason Watch List
• 2024 Preseason First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2024 Preseason Second Team All-SEC (Media)
• 2023-24 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2023 Second Team All-SEC (Coaches, AP)
• 2023 SEC All-Defensive Team
• 2023 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist
• 2023 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Finalist
• 2023 USBWA All-District IV Team
• 2023 NABC Second Team All-District 20
• 2022-23 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll
• SEC Player of the Week (1/30/23)
• 2023 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
• 2023 Preseason First Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2023 Preseason Second Team All-SEC (Media)
• 2021-22 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2022 SEC All-Defensive Team
• 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2022 Hall of Fame Invitational MVP
• SEC Freshman of the Week (2/7/22)

 

[Frozevol]

If there was a way to measure grit/heart/commitment he’d be at the top of that list as well.

 

[McDad]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

 

[Special Ed]

Appreciation

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

Slight, at best. Pardon the pun on his relative size, but that's certainly the only issue

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Appreciation

Reported.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

Depends on what your level of playing in the NBA is I guess.

Can he get a shot to practice with a NBA team? Absolutely.

Will we ever see him playing meaningful minutes in a NBA regular season game...don't think that is as likely.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Like to see a way to quantify the assists once removed. I have seen a lot of instances where his movement and hitting a guy WITH a shot that was bypassed to make one more pass to an even more open guy as defenses reacted. Bet Mayshack alone has bunches of those type assists. Still ZZ CREATED opportunities.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

Probably not.

Most NBA teams just don’t have a need for a 5’9 point guard.

That doesn’t take anything away from his college career though.

 

[cncchris33]

Dude is just a winner. He pushes everyone else to be better. He's a coach on the floor and a calming presence despite a fiery personality on the court. He's everything that is right with college athletics who did it the right way and exercised loyalty in an era where few do. He appreciates everything Tennessee and its fans provided him and showed it on the floor every night out.

 

[volunator]

I'm afraid the days of Muggsy Bogues and Spud Webb have long past.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

27 players 5’9” or shorter have ever played in the NBA.

Two are currently on rosters. 5’8” Jacob Gilyard anf 5’8” Yuki Kawamura. Yuki has only appeared in 8 games (Memphis). JG has played in 38 games over 3 seasons.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I'm afraid the days of Muggsy Bogues and Spud Webb have long past.

ZZ towers over those two.

 

[SGMVols]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

None unfortunately. Just too hard for anyone under 6’ to make it in the modern NBA. It’s what doomed Kennedy Chandler too.

 

[LittleCat]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

Tyler Ulis had a shot for a few years. Will have to be the right fit for zz to last in the league

 

[a vol n tears]

East Tenn guy here. Keith “Mister” Jennings (ETSU) was another 5’ 7” guy who made the NBA.
Played 3 years and appeared in over 160 games averaging 18 minutes per game. In his 18 minutes he averaged 6.6 pts and 3.7 assists. Would be decent numbers even today.

 

[GoVols9800]

If he ends up in Europe, he will be a star and fan favorite. I’m still holding out hope that he could possibly come back for one more year. He is my all time favorite player for UT.

 

[Delmar]

The epitome of a VFL. We’ve been lucky to have him these 4 years.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Tyler Ulis had a shot for a few years. Will have to be the right fit for zz to last in the league

He was a better shooter and scorer than ZZ, and even though it wasn’t that long ago, it was still a bit of a different time in that teams weren’t so 3 point and switch centric

 

[PEPPERJAX]

ZZ towers over those two.

Spud had elite athleticism.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Zeigler is da man.

 

[Creeker]

Does he have any chance of playing in the NBA?

I’d say near 0% but he will definitely be able to make a career of basketball if that’s what he chooses. Rather that’s in Europe, coaching, even being an analyst on tv I could see, or some combination thereof.

 

[AllMidSouth65]

His determination to win the game is unmatched by any UT basketball player I have ever seen , and that is a span from 1960 forward. …..and yes I did play college basketball but not at UT . Actually moredetermined than any player I have ever seen at any college at any time. JMO

 

[SGMVols]

I’d say near 0% but he will definitely be able to make a career of basketball if that’s what he chooses. Rather that’s in Europe, coaching, even being an analyst on tv I could see, or some combination thereof.

Worst comes to worse and he doesn’t catch on anywhere as a player, my next guess would be an SEC Network role of some sort.

 

[Orangeslide]

ZZ is made of the right stuff. In came to Tennessee with a point to prove that he belonged. Boy did he ever prove his point. I bet other teams in the league feel like he’s been here 6 years. lol. Players like him do not come around often. The ultimate competitor and teammate, so unique in a ME world of NIL and the portal. Barnes took a chance on him and he delivered.