Shooting lulls and Zakai Zeigler: Unpacking Tennessee basketball’s Maui Invitational play

Rick Barnes walked on the University of Hawaii campus and was taken back to 1986.

The Tennessee basketball coach remembered the loaded field at that year’s Rainbow Classic, widely discussed when he was an Ohio State assistant. He had flashbacks as he pondered the high-profile field at this year’s Maui Invitational featuring five of the top 10 teams in the nation.

In the days following that walk, Tennessee faced the top two teams on its way to a fourth-place finish, and Barnes left thinking his team can be great, but isn’t there yet.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be as good as anybody in the country, but we’re going to have to get better,” he said.

No. 8 Tennessee (4-2) finished fourth, losing to No. 2 Purdue and No. 1 Kansas after beating Syracuse in its opener. The tournament result matched UT’s best in its four Maui Invitational appearances.

Here is what we learned in UT’s three-game tournament:

Zakai Zeigler needs time to get back to form

Zakai Zeigler, who had ACL surgery in March, wasn’t cleared for Tennessee until late October. He didn’t play until Nov. 6 against Tennessee Tech. He hasn’t looked comfortable yet.

The junior point guard had a brutal trip in Maui. He was 1-for-12 on 3-pointers and 4-for-22 shooting. He had 14 points and 11 turnovers.

The preseason All-SEC pick isn’t himself yet, which is understandable. But Tennessee won’t get close to its ceiling without Zeigler, who is an elite defender, capable shooter and a high-level playmaker. It’s clear he wasn’t ready for the level of play in Maui. He will have ample time through the remainder of the nonconference schedule to dial it up.

The Vols need him to get there.

Tennessee had shooting woes and offensive lulls

There were long offensive gaps in the two games the Vols lost. They had two field goals in an almost 18-minute span against Purdue, and a 3-for-19 shooting stretch against Kansas.

They were 22-for-71 shooting against Kansas after going 19-for-57 against Purdue, and a combined 17-for-63 on 3-pointers in those games.

“We didn’t have a great tournament here where I thought we shot the ball the way we’re capable of,” Barnes said.

UT’s lulls were costly in both games and left Barnes saying the Vols are inconsistent. He is still wanting to learn what Tennessee is going to get from players on a night-to-night stretch.

Santiago Vescovi is ever reliable

Santiago Vescovi settled in against Syracuse, dominating the zone defense in the final 10 minutes. He was even better in the first half against Kansas. The fifth-year senior found his 3-point shot against the Jayhawks, which was a welcome sight.

Vescovi is the player Barnes likely knows the most about what he will get in each game, and he was reminded of that in Maui.

“Really and truly we tell him we need him to shoot the ball a bit more,” Barnes said. “But he knows when he’s got it, when he doesn’t. And if he doesn’t have it, he’s gonna find a way to impact the against some other way.”

Does Tennessee have enough in the post?

It might be unfair to judge Tennessee’s post players after games against probably the two most dominant players in college basketball in Purdue’s Zach Edey and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson. But the lack of experience and depth in the post was a concern entering the season and remains one after six games.

“We still need a presence with our post guys,” Barnes said. “We need those guys that understand we need them.”

Jonas Aidoo has been a pleasant surprise. He has had good games, including a 14-point, 11-rebound day against Syracuse on Monday. Tobe Awaka battled through an ankle injury in the final two games, but has not shown he can stay on the court or provide steady offense. He has not played more than 14 minutes in a game.

J.P. Estrella provided good minutes against Syracuse, but isn’t ready for a game-by-game role. Cade Phillips barely played after being the third forward through the first three games.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it