KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee men's basketball begins its season with exhibition games later this month.
However, star guard Zakai Zeigler will not be ready to go by then. He is still in the process of fully recovering from the torn ACL injury he suffered last season against Arkansas this past February. He has been practicing with the team but in a limited capacity.
There is no timetable set for his return, but he will be back this season and he is excited for when that moment comes.
"I just want to get back so bad," he told WBIR at Tennessee men's basketball media day on Tuesday. "I just feel like it comes from me being so competitive. I know me being on the team and helping the team as much as I can can help us win."
Zeigler has faced adversity before when his family home in New York burned down in February of 2021. When he played his first game back in Thompson-Boling Arena that season, Vol fans went wild. We asked him what his feelings would be when that happened after his return.
"I'm just getting chills right now, just thinking about it," Ziegler said. "I know Vol Nation has got me no matter what. and whether it's a big cheer or a little bit of claps, I know they got me no matter what."
Zeigler will be entering his junior year. Despite his injury in his sophomore year, he was named to the Coaches and Associated Press All-SEC Second Team. He also made the conference's All-Defensive team.
At the time of his season-ending injury, he led the SEC in assists with 161 in total and averaging 5.4 per game. He also averaged 10.7 points per game.