Zakai Zeigler's Defense Will Be Welcomed Back Into The Lineup
With Tennessee basketball's first game against Tennessee Tech a little less than a month away, preseason is beginning in anticipation for the Vols' 2023-24 season. Among these talks, the Volunteers point guard Zakai Zeigler is getting lots of talk early on about his defense.
Among these praises is NCAA.com analyst Andy Katz, who put Zeigler in the top ten defenders in the nation this upcoming season. He placed Zeigler ninth on the list behind Kansas guard Dajuan Harris and ahead of the tenth-place man, Jaelen House, a guard for the New Mexico Lobos. Zeigler's place on this list helps to fit the bill of Tennessee's typical "defense-first" mindset. The defensive style of play has been on Rocky Top since head coach Rick Barnes arrived in 2015.
Zeigler showed why he is worthy of being named a top-ten defender based on his 2022-23 season. Zeigler stepped up after averaging a solid 1.7 steals a game his freshman season to average 2.0 last year. He has very active hands at the top of the defensive, leading to more offensive possessions and opportunities on the fastbreak in transition. This past season's average put Zeigler in the top five in the SEC last season in steals. He was on the list with some 2023 NBA draft picks who were also top five in the SEC and known for their defensive prowess, like Arkansas's Anthony Black and Kentucky's Cason Wallace.
The Vols also were without Zeigler due to a torn ACL he suffered in Tennessee's senior night matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He did not play for the Vols for the remainder of the season, including the SEC and NCAA tournaments. A healthy Zeigler back gives the Vols a crazy amount of depth for this upcoming season. And according to analysts like Katz, it keeps the defensive reputation strong in Knoxville.
Tennessee Volunteers G Zakai Zeigler getting interviewed in the locker room before the NCAA Tournament. (Photo by Caitie McMekin of the News Sentinel)
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