Skip to main content

SEC Pregame Injury Report: Tennessee updates status of Zakai Zeigler for Florida game

IMG_3593by:Grant Rameyabout 9 hours

GrantRamey

Tennessee PG Zakai Zeigler
(Matt Pendleton | Imagn Images)

Zakai Zeigler is out for Saturday’s Noon Eastern Time game between No. 8 Tennessee and No. 5 Florida at Food City Center.

Zeigler, who was listed as questionable on Friday night, was dressed but not active during practice Friday afternoon, after missing practice on Thursday.

Senior forward Igor Milicic (illness), who also did not practice on Friday, was listed as probable on Friday and upgraded to available on Saturday. He had a game-high 19 points in the 78-73 loss against No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday, going 4-for-8 from the 3-point line.

Zeigler injured his right knee late in the first half against Kentucky. He was driving to the rim when his right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly with 2:17 left before halftime.

Head coach Rick Barnes said Friday afternoon that he expected Zeigler to be available for Saturday against Florida.

“He did not practice yesterday,” Barnes said before Friday’s practice. “I just walked in the building and haven’t heard where he’s at. My gut feel is, knowing him, that he’ll be ready to play.”

Barnes was also asked if there was any concern for Zeigler’s injury after he did not practice Thursday.

“No,” Barnes said. “Not at all. Not one bit.”

After injuring his knee, Zeigler jumped up under his own powered and jogged toward the Tennessee bench, going straight to the locker room to be examined by trainers. He returned after halftime and played all 20 minutes in the second half.

Barnes said during his postgame press conference on Tuesday that Zeigler checking himself out and immediately going to the locker room worried him “because he would never do what he did, going straight back.”

Barnes added that he didn’t see any change in the way Zeigler played in the second half after suffering the injury and that he wouldn’t have played if he had not been cleared medically.

Zeigler finished with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in a team-high 35 minutes against Kentucky.

“He tweaked his knee a little bit,” Barnes said of the injury. “… It’s sound or he wouldn’t have played. He said it was all sound.” 

Zeigler entered Tuesday night’s game averaging 12.3 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game, all career-best numbers. He had 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in Tennessee’s 53-51 loss at No. 1 Auburn Saturday night. 

Tennessee’s other ball-handling options behind Ziegler most notably include Jordan Gainey and Bishop Boswell. Gainey scored 18 points in the second half at Illinois in December while playing 18 minutes at point guard in the second half, after Zeigler was sidelined with four fouls.

Boswell is averaging 3.6 minutes per game and played four minutes Tuesday against Kentucky, his most since playing a season-high 11 at Florida on January 7. 

Barnes said Friday that Boswell needs to continue to play the way he did against Kentucky to earn more minutes. 

“Played really hard,” Barnes said. “I thought he was a real bright spot. I thought he went in and his effort was what we needed and if he’ll continue to do that and take care of the ball, he’ll get more minutes.”

You may also like