Zeigler Named TSWA Player of the Year

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee star Zakai Zeigler is the Tennessee Sportswriters Association (TSWA) Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, as announced Wednesday morning.

Zeigler garnered 12 of the 20 votes, with players from Tennessee schools across all levels of college basketball considered.

This is the third time in the last seven years a Volunteer has won the award, including the second in a row. Zeigler follows Dalton Knecht (2023-24) and Grant Williams (2018-19).

A Third Team All-America designee from all four official outlets, Zeigler finished seventh nationally in EvanMiya.com’s national player rankings and just outside the top 10 on KenPom.com’s list. He won SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row, the third player ever to do so.

One of four finalists for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Zeigler earned First Team All-SEC recognition from the league’s coaches for the second consecutive year. The senior guard was an NABC First Team All-Central District and SEC All-Tournament choice.

Zeigler averaged 13.6 points, 7.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game during his final collegiate campaign. He set the SEC single-season record with 275 assists, breaking the tally of 260 that stood since 1980.

A 5-foot-9, 172-pounder from Long Island, N.Y., Zeigler finished his career with Tennessee records for assists (747) and steals (251). Those numbers place him third and co-ninth, respectively, on the SEC all-time list. He is the only player in conference history to amass 1,500 points, 700 assists, 350 rebounds and 250 steals.

Zeigler’s play helped Tennessee go 30-8 (12-6 SEC) and tie a program record with a fifth-place finish in the national polls. He aided the Volunteers to a second straight Elite Eight trip during a season in which they spent five weeks atop at No. 1 nationally and defeated a program-best seven AP top-15 foes, including four in the top seven.

Chattanooga’s Dan Earl won TSWA Coach of the Year. On the women’s side, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes collected the player honor and Union’s Mark Campbell won coaching plaudits. VFL Zakai Zeigler may be done playing on the court for Tennessee, but he’s still racking up awards from his time in Knoxville.