Tennessee PG Zakai Zeigler gets major national validation as Vols hit the home stretch for a one seed
It appears that folks indeed have been watching Tennessee Vols point guard Zakai Zeigler this year and appreciating the job he's done in helping Tennessee reach the edge of a possible one seed in the NCAA Tournament this month. The finalists for the Bob Cousy Award were announced this week, and Zeigler is one of […]
It appears that folks indeed have been watching Tennessee Vols point guard Zakai Zeigler this year and appreciating the job he's done in helping Tennessee reach the edge of a possible one seed in the NCAA Tournament this month.
The finalists for the Bob Cousy Award were announced this week, and Zeigler is one of five named in contention for the award.
The Bob Cousy Award is given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame each year to the nation's top point guard. This year's finalists are Zeigler, Mark Sears of Alabama, Walter Clayton, Jr. of Florida, Kam Jones of Marquette, and Braden Smith of Purdue.
It's been quite the season for Zeigler, even if he's not at the same heights scoring wise as the rest of the group. Out of all the finalists, Zeigler's 13.7 points per game is the lowest. However, it's also the highest points per game average of his career to date by a significant margin, showing he's taken a step forward there.
Where's he's shined, as Vol fans know, is in the aspect of a true floor general: getting the ball in the hands of others to score. His 7.2 assists per game this year is a career high and is tops in the SEC, undoubtedly the toughest conference in the country this year by a big margin. His defense is also a calling card, as his 2.0 steals per game is second among the finalists.
Where Zeigler's chances lie best in winning the award is team success, and helping take UT on a deep tournament run would surely boost his chances. We'll see if he can help etch his name further in Tennessee lore later this month as the Vols try to make their first Final Four in program history.
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