Tennessee basketball faces off against Norfolk State on Tuesday afternoon in its finale tuneup before opening up SEC play on Jan. 4 against Arkansas.
A pair of Tennessee stars are chasing program records as things start to get amped up in the new year.
Point guard Zakai Zeigler is on pace to become Tennessee’s single-season assist record holder as well as its career assist record holder.
Through 12 games this season, Zeigler has totaled 99 assists. If he keeps things up at his current rate, Zeigler will finish the regular season with 256 assists. That will be enough to trump Rodney Woods’ 227 assists during the 1974-75 season for the most in a single-season.
It could be difficult for Zeigler to continue his current pace of 8.2 assists per game. However, Zeigler averaged seven assists per game in SEC play last season which was more than he averaged in non conference play. If Zeigler averages seven assists in SEC play again this season he’ll break the record before the postseason begins.
The senior point guard is also chasing Tennessee’s career assist record. If Zeigler continues at his current pace this season, he’ll conclude the regular season with 728 career assists which would clear Johnny Darden’s 715 career assists for a new program record.
Through 11 games, Zeigler has a 2.60 assist-turnover ratio which would be the eighth best in a single-season in Tennessee history. Zeigler’s 11 turnover game at Louisville is largely dragging down his assist-turnover ratio this season.
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Transfer shooting guard Chaz Lanier is the other Vol chasing down program records and it’s three-point shooting numbers for the talented sharpshooter.
Lanier has made 45 triples so far this season at a 47.4% clip. He’s on pace to finish the regular season with 116 made three-pointers which would leave him two short of Chris Lofton’s single-season program record. Lanier would need to just total three made triples in the postseason to break Lofton’s record.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Lanier’s pursuit to pass the best three-point shooter in Tennessee’s program history is that he’s on pace to finish the regular season with 62 fewer attempts than Lofton in his record breaking 2007-08 season.
Lanier’s current 47.4% clip would be the second best in a single season in Tennessee history behind Jon Higgins 48.6% clip in 2000-01. However, Higgins made just 53 total triples that season while Lanier has already made 45.
Like Zeigler, the challenge is going to get more-and-more difficult for Lanier as the season progresses. However, Lanier is shooting better against power five opponents to this point in the season.
Zeigler and Lanier resume their record chase as No. 1 Tennessee returns to the court on Tuesday afternoon against Norfolk State. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. The SEC Network+ is broadcasting the. game.
