'He started settling in': Zakai Zeigler is getting back to being Zakai Zeigler
For Zakai Zeigler, it started in the second half at North Carolina. Tennessee was trying to answer a disastrous opening 20 minutes — giving up an unheard of 61 points, allowing the Tar Heels to shoot 57.6% from the field — and trying to dig out of a 24-point hole.
After halftime at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, Zeigler started to look like his old self. He scored seven points in the second half, knocking down a couple 3-pointers, he grabbed three rebounds and, most telling, he had five assists in 19 minutes.
“He started settling in,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Tuesday night.
Zeigler finished the 100-92 loss to North Carolina with nine points, a season-high seven assists and three rebounds, with two turnovers in 27 minutes.
Zakai Ziegler’s last two games: 17 points, 13 assists, 3 turnovers
The process of settling in continued Tuesday in Tennessee’s 87-66 win over George Mason. Zeigler had six points, six assists a pair of steals and a rebound, with one turnover in 27 minutes.
His 13 assists over the last two games match the 13 assists he had over the previous five. He had 15 turnovers in those five games, too, but has just three in 55 minutes over the last two games.
“I think that’ll go up,” Barnes said of the assist numbers. “I mean, he had a couple where he made some good passes (against George Mason) and we didn’t knock down the shot, but he wants to be a point guard.
“And I thought … he actually turned down a couple shots that a week ago he wouldn’t have (turned down). And, if he had shot it, I’m not sure I would’ve been upset with it.”
The process of Zeigler returning from the torn ACL he suffered late last season hasn’t gone any different than Barnes expected it to go.
He knew how hard Zeigler would work to get back. He knew how high his expectations would be upon his long-awaited return.
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“He’s such a competitive person and his DNA,” Barnes said, “I mean, there is no doubt in my mind the entire time he was out, he truly thought he would be able to walk back out on the court and pick up exactly where he was. And I kept telling him, it’s not going to happen. You can’t miss seven, eight months, even as hard as you worked in the gym to get healthy.”
Up Next: No. 17 Tennessee vs. No. 20 Illinois, Saturday, Noon ET, CBS
Zeigler worked himself back to 100% healthy, Barnes said, before he returned in Tennessee’s season opener on November 6. But 100% healthy doesn’t mean Zeigelr being back to 100% of his old self on the floor.
“He came back and again,” Barnes said, “because of who he is, he’s like a fire that just wants to roll and go. And he was trying way too hard. He was trying to do too much. But he didn’t do it out of being selfish. He just did it because that’s just how he thinks. You know, I gotta help my team. I gotta do this. I gotta do that.”
What he was trying to do against George Mason, and in the second half, was get everyone involved and get back to being his old self.
“I think just mentally and emotionally,” Barnes said, “I think he’s getting into a good place knowing that what I said to him earlier — it’s going to take a little time, but he’s trying.
“And obviously we need him to be the player that we know he can be. And there’s no doubt he’ll get there.”
