Tennessee
WATCH: Vols legend Zakai Zeigler records moment he graduates from Tennessee
Tennessee basketball’s most accomplished point guard in school history is officially a graduate of the university.
Zakai Zeigler, after spending four years with Tennessee’s men’s basketball program, has walked the stage at graduation, majoring in ‘retail & merchandising management.’
At his graduation, Zeigler wore glasses with a camera that recorded the moment. You can watch the video below.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Standing at just a listed 5-foot-9, his pesky defense earned him consecutive SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was also a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year as a senior alongside Jahmai Mashack. This was the first time a pair of teammates were ever in the group of four finalists.
As a senior, he earned multiple All-American honors and was a First-Team All-SEC player. This came on averages of 13.6 points, 7.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.
He shot 40.4% from the field and 32.2% on 3-pointers during the campaign. He started in all 37 contests he appeared in while missing one game.
The result of the Zeigler-led squad was a back-to-back trip to the Elite Eight. Zeigler was a major part of two of Tennessee’s three Elite Eight appearances due to making the round the year prior, as well.
As a junior on that Elite Eight squad, Zeigler started in 30 games and appeared in 36. He averaged 11.8 points per game to go with 6.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds.
He was a First-Team All-SEC member that year along with his first of two SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
As a sophomore, Zeigler started in 15 of his 30 appearances. His season was cut short, though, due to an ACL injury late in the year.
He still managed to crack the SEC All-Defense team while averaging 10.7 points per game with 5.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds.
As a freshman, Zeigler played in 35 games and started one. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds while sharing time with fellow freshman point guard Kennedy Chandler.
As a recruit, Zeigler was just a three-star prospect whose recruitment didn’t gain much traction until late in his high school career. An impressive performance at Peach Jam put him on Barnes and Tennessee’s radar.
He played at Our Savior Lutheran in Bronx, New York and was the No. 42 point guard in the 2022 cycle.
Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.
The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.
“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”
In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.
It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.
Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.
The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.
Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.
Knoxville Regional
7-seed Virginia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Indiana
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Northern Kentucky
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
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Knoxville Super Regional
3-seed Georgia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
6-seed Clemson
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- Jamison Brockenbrough – .342
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
UNC Greensboro
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Brooklyn Shroyer – 1.41
Charleston
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Mackenzie Mathis – 3.34
Tennessee rowing won the program’s first SEC championship in a thrilling finish on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge.
The title came down to the final race with the varsity eight boat, which had the lead against Texas going into the final 250 meters. The Longhorns made a late push to overtake the Lady Vols, but the 1V8 crew held on for the victory to secure the SEC championship on May 10.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 to win the title. It’s the first time the Lady Vols have won a conference championship since 2013 when they were a member of Conference USA.
The program’s first SEC title comes in the third season under coach Kim Cupini, who has transformed Tennessee into a national powerhouse.
“Phenomenal to see that from the team”, Cupini said in a school release. “Texas coming in was the number one team in the country and had that undefeated eight. So to see the varsity eight clinch like that was awesome. I have to take my hat off to the full team to get enough points to win the SEC Championship and bring that championship home, especially here at home in Tennessee. So, I was super impressed and super proud of them.”
Tennessee moves on to the NCAA Championships at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, from May 29-31.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 with four total wins, which also included the 2V4, 3V8 and 3V4.
The 1V8 boat finished with a time of 6:06.939 for the win. The first varsity eight crew has beaten eight ranked opponents on the season.
The 2V4 was a crucial comeback win for Tennessee. The second varsity four crew fell behind early but caught up to and overtook Texas in the final 500 meters for the win, finishing with a time of 7:12.677.
“I think the boats on the water saw that,” Cupini said. “To be able to race from behind in the event and win is incredible. The second four, we were going crazy on that. It was a group that just got together the other day. They row together a lot as a team and as a group, but that lineup hasn’t been together. So to see them pull that off and get the win was incredible.”
Tennessee swept the third varsity races, with the 3V8 finishing with a time of 6:29.409 and the 3V4 finishing with a time of 7:16.747. The Lady Vols placed second in the 2V8 and 1V4, losing to Texas by a combined 11 seconds.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
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