Rick Barnes discusses Zakai Zeigler's big game in Tennessee's win over Kentucky

Tennessee made a statement Saturday in Lexington, taking down Kentucky in a massive rivalry win. The Vols were able to eclipse 100 points for the first time this season thanks to all five starters being in double digits. Zakai Zeigler finished with 26 points, tied with Josiah Jordan-James for a team-high.

“A great effort and a terrific effort from him,” head coach Rick Barnes said on Zeigler.

The performance from Zeigler was a bounceback one, not playing great at home during the loss to South Carolina. He finished with just two points, a rebound, and three assists. Not what you want from your starting point guard on any given night.

Barnes said the time between games was used to get Zeigler back in the right mindset. He has been a leader on the court for Tennessee over the years but maybe lost it for a brief moment against South Carolina. Zeigler has been a key factor in why Tennessee has been on a great run over the past few seasons.

“After the South Carolina game, we talked to him about — he’s got to get back to being who he really is,” Barnes said. “Part of that is holding people around him accountable. I’ve said it from the beginning when he stepped on this campus as a freshman — what he brought, that you never know until you coach him — is in his DNA. And that’s who he is.”

From a big-picture standpoint, Barnes is happy with the development Zeigler is making as a pure point guard. The scoring was on full display against Kentucky but working the entire offense has been a point of emphasis for Tennessee.

“He’s getting so much better at learning how to play the point because he never was a true point guard coming in,” Barnes said. “He’s got a knack to score but he’s taken great pride in watching a lot of tape, learning how to make decisions out of ball screens. What he does during the game, that’s what he does in practice every day.”

Everyone on Rocky Top is hoping this season can prove to be a special one. Tennessee has been desperate to make a deep NCAA Tournament run but has fallen short a few times. With guys like Zeigler in his third season of the program, it feels like the time is now.

Performances like the Kentucky one give Barnes and the fanbase confidence for down the road.