Tennessee Vols point guard Zakai Zeigler continues to make his mark on Tennessee basketball’s program. On Monday, the UT standout saw his name go into the SEC history books for a very impressive accomplishment.
Zeigler was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. He was also named to the SEC’s All-Defensive team. That marked his fourth time making the team, which makes him the first player in SEC history to accomplish the feat.
Zeigler also became just the third player in conference history to win multiple SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors, according to the university. The other multi-time winners were Texas A&M’s Robert Williams (2016-18) and Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado (2007-2010).
Zeigler got a big recognition earlier this month when he was named as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Vols’ floor general wasn’t the only Tennessee basketball standout to receive honors from the SEC. Chaz Lanier was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and Second-Team All-SEC. Jahmai Mashack, who was honored recently as a Torchbearer by the university, also joined Zeigler on the All-Defensive team.
Plenty of recognition for the Vols’ seniors, but very well earned through hard work and continuous effort that Rick Barnes talked about over the weekend. We’ll find out soon enough if they can help deliver a program first that would put Vol fans on Cloud Nine – a first-ever trip to the Final Four.
