Tennessee basketball will be without its leader on Saturday as Senior guard Zakai Zeigler has been ruled out against Florida.
Zeigler has been the glue for Rick Barnes’ teams the past few seasons and that continues to be the case this year. While Barnes has dipped into the portal to add elite scorers like Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier, Zeigler is still the guy everyone trusts with the ball in his hand.
That’s why Zeigler’s injury is a huge hit for the program. He has been recovering from a knee injury since leaving in the first half of the Kent hot game earlier this week. He eventually returned but won’t be available for Tennessee’s matchup against SEC rival Florida.
Barnes and the Vols have rarely been without Zeigler since he arrived in Knoxville. Whether it be personal struggles or adversity on the basketball court, Zeigler has always shown up for Tennessee.
Zeigler is averaging 12.3 points, 7.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals so far this year. He has proven to be a big game guy for the Vols, stepping up on the court for Tennessee in the biggest moments.
He won’t have the opportunity to do that on Saturday, though, with his knee injury. The Vols thought they might also be without forward Igor Milicic due to an illness but he will be available to play against Florida.
The Vols and Gators tip off at Noon ET on ESPN as the Vols look to get payback after Florida embarrassed them earlier this season.