Following a win over the Miami Hurricanes, the Tennessee Vols basketball team is a perfect 9-0 to start the season. Yup, things could not be going better for Rick Barnes and his players, as the Vols are also the No. 1 team in the country.
On Tuesday night, the Vols took center stage in Manhattan, having no issues in taking down the Hurricanes 75-62 at the iconic Madison Square Garden. With the game being on ESPN too, the rest of the country was able to see just how strong this team is looking.
In the victory, point guard Zakai Zeigler scored 13 points and he added nine assists. After the final whistle too, Zeigler had plenty of Vols fans fired up when he issued a statement to teams coming for the Vols' top spot in the polls. Plain and simple, Zaigler and his teammates aren't scared of anyone:
#Vols point guard Zakai Zeigler: We saw that No. 1 spot and knew we were about to get everyone's best shot. We're duckin' no smoke.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) December 11, 2024
Tennessee hoops took down Miami at Madison Square Garden to improve to 9-0
The Vols are 'duckin' no smoke' and Zeigler has no issues letting everyone know about that. Tennessee is operating at a strong level, giving opposing teams loads of issues on both sides of the hardwood.
Zeigler wasn't the only one to look sharp against Miami on Tuesday, with Chaz Lanier playing brilliantly - he led the team with 22 points. Elsewhere, Igor Miličić Jr. chipped in with his 16 points and nine rebounds for UT.
Everything is going right for the Vols and fans are loving the chemistry that is being built. What makes things even better is that these players are playing with a ton of confidence/swag and they're backing things up too.
Next up is a showdown with Illinois, which won't be an easy one. The Fighting Illini just took down No. 20 Wisconsin, dominating things around the glass. It will be a tough test for Tennessee, but it's a showdown Zeigler is going to welcome with open arms. Him and his teammates don't fear any team out there - they'll all be ready for whatever Illinois has in store for them.