Texas head coach gives backhanded compliment to Vols' Zakai Zeigler after NCAA tournament game
Zakai Zeigler had an off night trying to get the ball into the basket for the Tennessee Vols on Saturday night in their Round of 32 matchup with the Texas Longhorns. The veteran guard was only 2 of 12 from the floor and 1 of 8 from beyond the arc. However, the Vols' star still […]
Zakai Zeigler had an off night trying to get the ball into the basket for the Tennessee Vols on Saturday night in their Round of 32 matchup with the Texas Longhorns. The veteran guard was only 2 of 12 from the floor and 1 of 8 from beyond the arc.
However, the Vols' star still managed to make a dent in the game. His stifling defense and seven assists helped Tennessee escape Texas 62-58 and advance to their second straight Sweet 16.
After the game, Texas coach Rodney Terry was asked about Zeigler and the hand he has in Tennessee's defense, and he gave a complimentary response…with a bit of an odd twist (31:10 mark of the video)
"Dalton (Knecht), you know, he's a big-time player. Head of the snake is the little dude. The little guy causes a lot of problems out there. He's all over the place defensively. Defensive player of the year in the SEC. He's causing all kinds of havoc on that end of the floor. And then you throw in that he can get into the teeth of the defense and get something for himself or create for a teammate. Dalton has had a special year, but he probably doesn't have that special year if he doesn't have that little guy that can get into the teeth of the defense and create scoring opportunities for him.
"So, he's the head of the snake. He's a really terrific player, and one that we had a lot of respect for."
It's clear that Terry has a lot of respect for Zeigler's game, which is understandable given what Zeigler has earned this year in SEC defensive player of the year and first team All-SEC honors. Not to mention he caused all kinds of issues for Texas on Saturday night when the Longhorns were trying to run their offense, particularly in the first half when Texas turned the ball over 11 times.
Why he felt the need to refer to Zeigler as the "little dude" and the "little guy" instead of his name is a tad eyebrow raising. It wasn't because he forgot his name, as the question from the reporter mentioned Zeigler by name. Zeigler is 5-foot 9-inches according to the University of Tennessee. He's certainly not unusually small, such as 5-foot 3-inches like former Charlotte Hornets guard Muggsy Bogues.
Still, the "little guy" proved to be a big enough problem on Saturday night inside the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Big enough that the Texas Longhorns will be watching that "little dude" on television next Friday night.
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