Jonas Aidoo is 13 inches taller than Zakai Zeigler. Zeigler was an instant impact player when he arrived on Tennessee’s campus while Aidoo’s emergence has been a slow climb. Aidoo started the season fast and entered SEC play on a slight cold stretch. Zeigler started the season slow coming off an ACL injury and has been on a gradual climb all season.
There’s not been many similarities in the junior duo’s journey to Tennessee’s Saturday night SEC opener against Ole Miss. But each are immensely important to the Vols’ high hopes this season. The two teamed up for a marvelous performance as Tennessee eviscerated Ole Miss 90-64 on Saturday night.
“It is just everything we’re doing in practice,” Aidoo said of the duo’s big night.
Aidoo started fast, scoring eight of Tennessee’s first 18 points, while Zeigler missed his first four field goal attempts. But Zeigler quickly caught up and Aidoo held his own as the two juniors were the two best players on the court.
Zeigler totaled 17 points, five rebounds and 10 assists with just two turnovers on Saturday night for his first double-double of the season and sixth of his career— a new program record for points-assists double-doubles.
The undersized point guard is now averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 assists and just 1.7 turnovers since the Maui Invitational and there’s zero questions about if he can regain the level of play he had before tearing his ACL on the final day of last February.
“From where I was sitting, he’s back,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard, who faced him two seasons ago at Texas, said postgame.
“All I got to say is he’s back,” Aidoo said of Zeigler postgame.
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After struggling the last few games, in part due to illness and a calf strain that’s still plaguing him, Aidoo was back to the much improved player we saw earlier this season. The junior big man went for his third double-double of the season, totaling a game-high 24 rebounds and 10 rebounds while vastly outplaying an Ole Miss front court that includes two seven footers.
“I thought Jonas’s fought physically too,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said postgame. “We had talked about it. He and I had a long talk the other day after practice and just told him how good I thought he was. And I said, Jonas, you know, you’re so much better than you’re playing.”
“He’s going to continue to be effective for us throughout the rest of the season,” Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack said.
The two teamed up frequently throughout the night. Tennessee isn’t a heavy ball screen team but Zeigler and Aidoo terrorized the Rebels on the pick-and-roll which accounted for a healthy chunk of both Aidoo’s points and Zeigler’s assists.
“Zakai really is getting so much better in ball screens,” Barnes said. “He’s getting better at getting rid of it, feeling the game, and making good passes. And our post guys are getting off of it better.”
While there are a lot of differences between Zeigler and Aidoo, they’re linked together on the court and are both instrumental to this Tennessee team.
Zeigler is the lone point guard on the roster and Tennessee’s offense is at its best when he’s humming. Aidoo is the best player in a thin front court and when he’s on he gives the Vols the interior presence Barnes has longed for in recent years.
Ole Miss saw up close and personal what it’s like when they’re both on as the Vols trounced the previously unbeaten Rebels for their most lopsided top 25 win in 11 years.
