Zakai Zeigler Sets Single-Season Assists Record for Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee senior guard Zakai Zeigler made history on Friday by breaking the program’s single-season assists record during the SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Texas.

Entering the game needing four assists to surpass Rodney Woods‘s longstanding record of 227 set in 1974-75, Zeigler quickly proved his mettle on the court. He achieved the milestone midway through the second half, ultimately finishing the game with six assists, raising his season total to 230.

With his performance against the Longhorns, Zeigler not only solidified his place in Tennessee basketball history but also positioned himself closer to another significant achievement. He is now just 14 assists shy of becoming the all-time leader in career assists at Tennessee, currently held by Johnny Darden, who recorded 715 assists from 1975 to 1979.

“It feels amazing to break this record, but I’m more focused on winning games and helping my team advance,” Zeigler said following the game.

As the contest progressed, the Vols maintained a slim 41-38 lead at halftime. However, the Longhorns struggled to find their rhythm after the break, allowing Tennessee to pull ahead. Zeigler’s assists late in the game were crucial in distancing the Vols from their adversaries.

Zeigler’s efforts have not gone unnoticed; he has averaged 7.5 assists per game this season. This impressive performance surpasses last season’s total of 218 assists over 36 games. Throughout his career, Zeigler has consistently proven to be a standout player, earning accolades including the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

“Zakai has worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and his performance today reflects that,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said in a post-game interview.

With a strong showing in the SEC Tournament so far, the Vols appear to be contenders for a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament. Their odds of making it past the semifinals are bolstered by Zeigler’s historic performance and the team’s current +300 odds.

“The tournament is always about momentum, so we’ll carry this into the next game,” Zeigler added, eyes set on the semifinals.

As Zeigler continues to play at this pace, basketball analysts and former players are eager to see if he can break the all-time assists record in the upcoming games of the tournament and perhaps even chase the NCAA Tournament single-game assist record held by Bert Bertelkamp.

“If he breaks the single-game NCAA Tournament record, it would be a remarkable feat,” said Bertelkamp, who expressed his hopes that Zeigler would achieve this milestone. “It would be fine if it’s in the Final Four.”