Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler lashes out, knocking phone out of fan’s hand after frustrating loss
The Tennessee Volunteers traveled to Oxford, Mississippi, on Wednesday night. Tennessee has struggled on the road this season, losing four games away from the Food City Center. However, the Volunteers had won nine of their last ten matchups against the Rebels. It was senior night for Ole Miss, which meant the home team was playing with extra emotion.
Tennessee entered the week as the last No. 1 seed after defeating Alabama in dramatic fashion the previous Saturday. The Vols led by five points at halftime, even jumping out to a ten-point lead early in the second half.
In the end, Ole Miss’ Jaemyn Brakefield took over, helping the Rebels outlast the Volunteers. With 7.5 seconds remaining, Brakefield grabbed a rebound and followed it up with a putback to give his team a two-point lead. On the final possession, it was Brakefield who affected Tennessee’s Igor Milicic’s last-second shot attempt, securing the win for Ole Miss.
However, the biggest controversy of the night came after the game. A video surfaced showing Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler swatting a phone out of an Ole Miss fan’s hand as he walked back to the locker room.
Zeigler, a senior from Long Island, New York, is not accustomed to handling disrespect. The four-year Vol guard is known for keeping his composure, but on this occasion, a rare outburst occurred.
Despite the negative attention following the game, Zeigler made history with his 15-assist performance. The 5-foot-9 point guard became the first Volunteer to record multiple 15-assist games, and he is the only player in the SEC to achieve this feat this season.
While it is unlikely that Zeigler will lose his temper again, it’s unfortunate that this rare incident was caught on camera. Zeigler is one of the most well-liked players in college basketball, and this incident does not reflect his character.
Jahmai Mashack says Tennessee knows ‘what we’re built for’ after last-second win over Alabama
Jahmai Mashack provided one of the signature moments of the SEC season and the college basketball season as a whole on the first day of March.
It wasn’t technically March Madness, because that will all start soon enough around the SEC and around the country.
But it was the month of March at least, and his buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted No. 5 Tennessee to a stunning comeback victory over No. 6 Alabama on Saturday in Knoxville. Mashack only had 11 points in the win with only 3 field goals and his iconic 3-point heave was his only 3-point attempt and make of the day.
Well, he made that one 3-point attempt count in the biggest way, and afterward, he made his words count during an interview when he talked about the Volunteers’ long-term goals through the month of March and, just maybe, into early April.
“We know what we’re built for, we know who we are. This is what we’ve done every single day. Don’t question what it is. I don’t care if we’re down 20, I don’t care if we’re up 20. You stick to the program,” Mashack told ESPN after the 79-76 victory.
