KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Basketball added another piece to their roster.
Three star recruit Zakai Zeigler announced his commitment to the Vols on Friday afternoon. Zeigler is a five feet 10 inch guard out of the Bronx, NY. He's a class of 2022 prospect, but Zeigler could end up on the Vols' roster this season as an early enrollee.
Zeigler isn't the most highly-rated prospect the Vols have brought in of late, but part of that may be due to his sudden rise as a high-level prep player.
He held offers from other notable programs. Minnesota, Boston College, Wichita State and others, but ultimately it was Rick Barnes and Tennessee who Zeigler chose. Barnes commented on Zeigler's game in a statement released on Friday.
"Zakai is a great story—the type of kid who's just built to work hard and beat the odds," he said. "He's got that New York City guard presence. He's tough, he understands how to run a team and he's a winner. As a natural point guard, he can control the tempo of the game on both ends of the floor. He turned a lot of heads with his shooting and all-around play at the Peach Jam. And we love that he guards full-court and has shown the ability to really impact the game defensively."
Last season, Zeigler averaged 20.3 points and 4.6 assists per game at Immaculate Conception High School. He's an undersized guard but has good speed and can set up others to score. Zeigler will add depth to a backcourt headed by incoming freshman Kennedy Chandler.
