Ex-Immaculate Conception Star
Becomes A Legend At Tennessee

There were certainly very real emotions bubbling to the surface as Zakai Zeigler and his Tennessee coach Rick Barnes remained in an extended embrace for several seconds following the post-game press conference after the senior point guard and his Volunteers dropped a 69-50 decision to top-seeded Houston in this past Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Elite 8 contest at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as the Cougars join Duke, Florida and Auburn in this weekend's Final 4 of all No. 1 seeds in San Antonio.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that it is now five years since Zeigler was smiling while holding his Essex County Tournament championship plaque as he stood on the court inside Tarnoff Gymnasium at West Orange High School.

The Immaculate Conception standout had just joined fellow Lion junior backcourt partner Jayden Brown in each scoring 15 points to lead the Lions to their first-ever ECT title, a 63-51 victory over perennial champ Seton Hall Prep.

It was Feb. 22, 2020, precious days before the full-fledged onset of the covid virus would be felt across both the nation and the world.

The well-traveled Zeigler, who transferred to the Montclair Catholic school during his sophomore season in 2018-2019 after beginning his scholastic career at the Upper Room Christian School in Huntington Station, N.Y., would finish his high school playing days at IC during the virus-truncated 2020-2021 winter campaign, although the University of Tennessee lists his final high school destination as being Our Savior Lutheran School in the Bronx, N.Y.

When he first started attending IC during his sophomore year he used to leave his Long Island, N.Y. home just after 6 a.m. on school days and spend two hours each way while switching trains in New York City in the process of then riding on NJ Transit in order to make his way to Walnut Street train station before making the brisk walk up to Immaculate High School nestled between Cottage Place and Munn Street in the heart of Montclair.

He also resided for a time with family members in Queens, N.Y. after a fire ruined his mom Charmane Zeilger’s house in Wyandanch (Suffolk County, N.Y.).

“I don’t remember where he was living at the time, but I do recall him being a graduate of our school,” said former IC school President Mike Malkinski.

"Zakai was a great kid, who I used to talk to in the hallways and we always enjoyed joking with each other.

“Now, that I see him listed at 5-9 I just smile and say, ‘I don’t think so.’ But, no matter what his actual height might be, he’s always had a ton of heart and determination which have helped him fulfill what may have appeared to be an unlikely dream a few years ago, but it’s an absolute joy to see him become one of the top players in all of college basketball!”

Zeigler, who was one of the key reasons why second-seeded Tennessee advanced into their second straight Elite 8 of the NCAA men s basketball tournament. He is a 2-time Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the third player to ever achieve that honor, and he is the first 4-time member of the SEC’s All-Defensive Team.

Those honors plus being named first-team All-SEC this season while joining more familiar names such as All-Americans Johni Broome of Auburn, Mark Sears of Alabama and Walter Clayton, Jr. of Florida plus Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV as the ‘First 5’ in America’s best basketball conference has made IC’s most noteworthy sports alum a favorite of many hoops fans across the country.

“SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year!” beamed IC coach Jimmy Salmon when Zeigler’s name was brought up during a conversation as the ‘Big Jersey’ showcase at Caldwell University was introduced early this past season. “Zakai continues to be an amazing story, and with more to come!”

Much more, including that second straight SEC Defensive Player of the Year honor awarded after the recently-completed college regular season.

Then, there was last Friday night (March 28) when Tennessee defeated familiar SEC foe Kentucky, 78-65, in the Midwest Region semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Volunteers, who had lost twice to the Wildcats during the regular season, definitely found the third time to be the charm in their NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 showdown as Zeigler helped lead the way to victory with 18 points and 10 assists.

“We were the aggressor,” Zeigler told Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I felt like we went out there swinging and we swung and kept swinging!”

The biggest compliment extended to the former Essex County hoops standout may have come from his Tennessee teammate, sophomore forward Cade Phillips who called Zeigler, “The ultimate competitor.”

The former IC Lion’s incredible journey to this point began in late July of 2021 when Zeigler, then with only Division I offers from St. Peter’s and Bryant, represented the AAU team, New Heights Lightning at the Peach Jam Showcase in Augusta, Ga.

On July 23 of that landmark event in his basketball life, Zeigler sank seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points in a win vs. a powerful Team CP3 to help hand that stacked squad its only defeat in the Peach Jam.

Most of all, his tenacious, never-say-tie, end-to-end hustle and strong play at both ends of the court was what attracted more college coaches, including Tennessee, yet when Zeiler initially received a message on Instagram from Volunteers assistant coach Mike Schwartz, he reportedly thought it was fake.

Soon, however, he connected with Tennessee, visiting the school on Aug. 27 of 2021 and accepting a scholarship offer from Barnes, the well-traveled college hoops coach who quickly came to believe in the unique and special qualities of Zeigler who quickly went from being perceived as a possible practice player and backup for the Knoxville, Tenn. school to becoming a valuable part of the rotation as a freshman while averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting 35% from ‘3.’

He then averaged 10.7 ppg and 5.4 apg as a sophomore although he was sidelined late in that 2022-2023 season when he absorbed a torn ACL in his left knee during a late-regular season game vs. Arkansas.

He worked hard to get back on the floor and shined in his junior season on 2023-2024 while averaging 11.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game for Volunteers squad that reached the Elite 8 last March.

This season he emerged as a team leader and continued to be one of Barnes’ favorite players in his 37-year coaching career while continuing to produce in a variety of ways for the Volunteers (30-8 overall, 12-6 in the SEC) while finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer (13.6 ppg) along with averaging a team-leading 7.4 assists per contest and 1.9 steals per game.

Plus, he’s a finalist for the Naismith defensive Player of the Year award and one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as the top guard in the country.
In an interview with ‘The Athletic’s’ Joe Rexrode, the Volunteers’ standout Jordan Gainey perhaps encapsulated the ultimate impact of his now widely-recognized college backcourt mate.

“Zakai is just a pest, you know?” Zeigler’s fellow senior backcourt mate said. “He is the fabric of what Tennessee basketball is!”

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