Rick Barnes shares where Zakai Zeigler stands in his recovery

Tennessee G Zakai Zeigler is still, slowly but surely, working his way back after tearing his ACL earlier this year. According to Rick Barnes, though, nobody wants to be better about and following his rehab than his junior guard.

Barnes updated Zeigler’s current status during a media availability on Monday. He said Zeigler’s approach is making things just a bit more difficult because he’s such a fighter that’s wanting the process and the results to be further along than it is and they are.

“I think that’s it,” said Barnes. “He’s such a competitive player – we all love him for what his DNA is and what he’s about. But, like any player that goes through what he did? I mean there’s frustrations that there’d be and they’d have.”

“No one has worked harder than he has to get back,” Barnes said. “Thinking that he’s going to be able to pick it right up? It’s hard to go as long as he went without really getting the feel for the time off, even though he worked and did everything he possibly could.”

Through six games, Zeigler is averaging just 4.2 points, three assists, and 2.5 turnovers in 19.8 minutes per game. He’s also shooting only 7-36 (19.4%) from the field including 4-22 (18.2%) from three.

That reared it’s head during the Maui Invitational as he got worse over the course of the Volunteers’ three games. Still, Barnes isn’t too concerned because he knows that Zeigler knows what the program expects from him and that, over time, he will continue to get better to meet those expectations.

“He’s pressing. We practice that. On Saturday? I thought he was really good,” said Barnes.

“I think he learned, we talked about things that we need to improve from the Maui trip,” Barnes continued. “Obviously, we need to have consistent, good guard play, especially at the point position. He knows we’re counting on him to do that.”

It’s hard to anticipate all-conference production from a player, even if they’re of that caliber, off an injury like this. It’s even more difficult when Zeigler himself wants to press the issue in order to help the team.

Even so, Barnes realizes what Zeigler is wanting to do and appreciates his desire considering it’s for the benefit of the team at Tennessee.

“He’s all about our team, he’s all about winning,” said Barnes. “He wants it back right now and he’s harder on himself than you can imagine. But he’ll get it.”