In a sad and scary moment, Tennessee basketball guard Zakai Zeigler suffered a non-contact leg injury against the Arkansas Razorbacks Tuesday night. Zeigler left the game three minutes into the first half due to the incident.
The injury came right after he landed while making a pass from underneath the goal. He hobbled for a short period before eventually having to be helped off the court.
There were no reports throughout the game about how serious it was except for the fact that he wouldn’t return. When you combine that with the fact that he had to be helped off the court and it was non-contact, the worst could be true.
Zeigler may have suffered an ACL tear. Obviously, that’s a devastating story not just for Tennessee basketball but for Zeigler himself. He’s one of the best stories in the SEC.
Remember, Zeigler came from out of nowhere as an undersized three-star guard in the Vols’ 2021 recruiting class. He turned into one of the toughest guys on the team.
As a freshman, his family home in Queens, N.Y., was destroyed in a fire. His family reportedly lost everything, and he’s had to play through that.
Now, he may have to deal with an injury that could keep him sidelined for a while. If anybody is mentally tough enough to handle that, he is, but it’s still a sad story.
For the year, Zeigler is averaging 11 points, two steals and five and a half assists per game. He has been in and out of the starting lineup at different times but always a key part of the team.
It seems like Tennessee basketball can never stay fully healthy. Zeigler’s injury comes just as Julian Phillips was able to return to the team Tuesday. Josiah-Jordan James just got healthy too. Tyreke Key remained out.
