Zakai Zeigler's message to Rick Barnes after Tennessee's Elite Eight loss to Houston: 'I'm sorry'

INDIANAPOLIS — Zakai Zeigler left the court for the final time in a Tennessee Basketball uniform Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium, shook hands and hugged Rick Barnes and gave a message to his head coach.

“I’m sorry,” the senior point guard said coming off the court, as No. 1 Houston was putting the finishing touches on the 69-50 win over No. 2 Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. 

Zeigler’s legendary career came to an end with five points, five assists assists and four turnovers in the loss, shooting just 1-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-6 from the 3-point line.

But the last thing Barnes wanted to hear was an apology.

“It hurt me because I knew how much he cared,” Barnes said. “He said ‘I’m sorry,’ but he’s got nothing to be sorry about. He gave us everything.”

Tennessee (30-8), seeing its season end in the Elite Eight for a second straight year, trailed by as many as 22 points in the first half and could get no closer than 10 points after halftime.

Jordan Gainey and Chaz Lanier scored 17 points each, but the Vols shot just 28.8% from the field and went 5-for-29 from the 3-point line, including an 0-for-14 start from three in the first half. 

“I love these guys to death,” Zeigler said. “They’re people that changed my life and I just love these guys to death and I’m just thankful that I was part of a team like this.”

Jahmai Mashack had four points, five rebounds and two steals in his final Tennessee game. Alongside Zeigler, the duo helped lead the Vols to four NCAA Tournaments, three Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights.

“I know those guys,” Barnes said. “They know I’m an older guy. They know I would love to win a national championship, but they have absolutely not one thing to hang their head down or be sorry about because they had truly — we have a slogan at Tennessee, give your all for Tennessee. They did that. In more ways than you can imagine. 

“Regardless, whether we were down 20 or 25, they would continue to give their all for the University of Tennessee because they’re such a huge part of where this program is right now.”

‘All I did was ask Coach Barnes for a chance and he gave it to me’

Zeigler leaves Tennessee as the SEC’s single-season assist record holder with 275. He Tennessee’s career record for assists (747), as well as the steals record (251). 

He averaged 13.9 points, 7.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds over his 137-game career as arguably the most productive and decorated point guard in program history.

“Coming into Knoxville,” Zeigler said, “I didn’t have any expectations for anything like that. All I did was ask Coach Barnes for a chance and he gave it to me. The mark that they left on me and my family, they changed our lives, really. 

“I’m just so thankful for each and every person that’s a part of Vol Nation. I’m so thankful for the coaches, so thankful for my teammates, so thankful for everybody that’s part of Tennessee as a whole. I couldn’t do anything like that without my teammates. I couldn’t do anything like that without my coaches.”

Zakai Zeigler signed with Tennessee as a three-star recruit in 2021

Zeigler was a three-star prospect discovered late in the 2021 recruiting cycle by Tennessee’s coaching staff. He was offered a scholarship, visited the Vols and committed to Barnes in a span of three weeks in July 2021 and arrived on campus in August. 

Mashack was a four-star prospect that leaves as one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball. 

“I’ve seen Coach Barnes be the most consistent person,” Mashack said. “ … He loves to coach me and he knows how much I put in this game. I really wanted to get there for him. I wanted people to realize how good of a coach he is.”

“I just wanted to get there for him,” Mashack added. “I wanted to get there for the Vol fans, man. I wanted them to have something that they could be proud of. And it’s hard. It’s hard, but we’re going to have to fight through it.”

Mashack and Zeigler, two of the four finalists for the national defensive player of the year award, leave as the two winnigest four-year players in Tennessee Basketball history, including nine NCAA Tournament wins and an SEC regular-season championship. They never played for a Tennessee team that was not ranked. 

“The mark that Tennessee has left on me is really crazy to just think about. It’s been the best four years of my life,” Zeigler said. “… Changed my life. And I feel like Knoxville is a place I’ll call home forever. So everything that I’ve done there, everything that they’ve done for me has been nothing less than great and I wouldn’t even say ups and downs. 

“Everything has been up, really. Vol Nation, I love you guys and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me and my family.”