Zakai Zeigler etched his name into the Tennessee record books on Friday afternoon becoming the Vols’ new single-season assist record holder. The senior point guard’s fourth assist against Texas in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals made him the new record holder.
Zeigler totaled three assists in the game’s first 12 minutes but then spent the final 6:36 of the first half on the bench with two fouls. He added his fourth, and record breaking, assist with 17:42 left in the second half, finding a cutting Jahmai Mashack for an open layup.
Rodney Woods previously held the record for the most assists in a single-season, totaling 227 assists in the 1974-75 season.
The senior point guard’s 218 assists in his junior season was the third most in a single-season of Tennessee men’s basketball and Zeigler passed that last Wednesday in the Vols’ loss at Ole Miss.
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Zeigler is one of the best true point guards in the country. He entered the game averaging 7.5 assists per game, a mark that was the SEC’s best by a full 2.5 assists per game.
With the single-season record in hand, Zeigler now looks to snag Tennessee’s career record for assists. Zeigler’s record breaking assist gave him 701 total in his career. Johnny Darden currently holds the program record with 715 assists from 1975-79.
Darden and Zeigler are well ahead of the pack in the Tennessee career assist record book. Woods is in third place in the career record posting 525 assists from 1972-75.
If Tennessee plays multiple games both in the SEC Tournament and in the NCAA Tournament then Zeigler has a phenomenal chance to become the career record holder as well as the single-season record holder.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for complete coverage of Tennessee basketball’s matchup against Texas and its entire run at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
