Tennessee basketball: Team awards for 2021-2022 season

Sixth-Man of the Year: Zakai Zeigler

Nobody saw this coming. Zakai Zeigler was a late three-star commitment in Tennessee basketball’s 2022 class who reclassified for 2021. In a class that also included more highly touted prospects Jonas Aidoo, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Jahmai Mashack, Zeigler became the standout freshman over all of them.

Questions about the backup point guard raged through the offseason, and Zeigler put those to rest immediately. The 5’9″ 160-pound freshman backed up Kennedy Candler and became a fan favorite with his toughness and athleticism. He was the most fun player to watch by far.

Zeigler averaged nearly nine points a game, over two and a half assists and over one and a half steals. He was also the most efficient free throw shooter, going 84.3 percent from the foul line. With Chandler gone, next year’s team is likely to be his, and he should emerge into a superstar.

Runner-up: John Fulkerson

Returning for his sixth year, John Fulkerson made the unselfish move and took a back seat as the main scoring option in the post off the bench. He averaged seven and a half points and over four and a half rebounds but was always the consistent presence UT needed off the bench. Although it was a lesser role, he remained the heart of this team.