Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack leave unmatched legacy with Tennessee basketball as Vols season ends

Yahoo

31-03-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — Zakai Zeigler buried his head into Rick Barnes' chest.
The Tennessee basketball guard wrapped his arms around the coach who changed his life. Zeigler told Barnes he was sorry and that he loved him. Barnes told Zeigler he loves him.
'He's got nothing to be sorry about,' Barnes said. 'He gave us everything.'
Zeigler let go and paced to the end of the bench. He draped a towel over his head and his mind raced. It played through his entire career from his first day on campus to winning an SEC title to his torn ACL to back-to-back Elite Eights.
Jahmai Mashack sat a few seats away, his face in his hands and his body shaking as he mourned Tennessee falling a game shy of a Final Four.
An era ended Sunday — and it is an era that should be cherished for generations of Tennessee fans alive to see it and those who will hear the stories. Zeigler and Mashack played their final game for Tennessee in a crushing 69-50 loss to Houston in the Elite Eight at Lucas Oil Stadium.
'When we look back, I think they will be the two most accomplished Tennessee Volunteer players ever,' Barnes said.
The tangible achievements back up Barnes' belief.
Tennessee won 109 games with Zeigler and Mashack on the roster. It was ranked for the entirety of their four seasons. The Vols won an SEC Tournament title in 2022 and an SEC regular-season title in 2023. They went to the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history in 2024 and 2025. They won nine NCAA Tournament games.
The only box left unchecked was a Final Four and a national title, which no Tennessee team has achieved.
'If they are remembered for anything short of being winners and elevating this program to a blue-blood level, I don't know if you can consider yourself a fan of Tennessee,' forward Cade Phillips said.
That's because of who Zeigler and Mashack are.
Zeigler is the ultimate underdog story. He's the kid who willed himself into a future and changed his family's trajectory. He might be 5-foot-9. He actually might believe he is 6-6. The scrappy soul from New York City is snarky and witty.
As solid as Mashack is as a defender, he is more solid as a human. He opened his postgame remarks by giving 'all the glory to God,' which he said he planned to do regardless of Sunday's outcome. The guard with California swagger has a presence that helped draw players to Tennessee, including Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier.
They set a tone of toughness.
'It was always about the things that weren't the pretty part, wanting to play hard and play defense and whatever it would take to win,' Barnes said.
JAHMAI: Is Tennessee basketball better with Jahmai Mashack? He answered the question vs Alabama
They also set a tone of love.
Phillips told stories of Zeigler taking him out to dinner when he struggled with not playing as a freshman. Mashack was a comfort. Igor Milicic, one of Tennessee's four transfers, said he was a stranger when he arrived. He felt like family to Zeigler and Mashack.
'The legacy that they leave on this Tennessee program is unmatched,' Milicic said. 'Those two are probably the greatest Volunteers ever.'
Tennessee (30-7) probably overachieved this season, which ended against Houston (34-4) because of the worst half the Vols played all year.
It had nine healthy scholarship players for the final three months. It lost J.P. Estrella to surgery early in the season and relied on limited depth in the post. Lanier shot himself into Tennessee history, leaving as one of the best 3-point shooters in program history. Jordan Gainey is a transfer portal success story.
A 30-win season and Elite Eight berth is a credit to Barnes.
ZAKAI: Trains, sacrifices and a last chance: Zakai Zeigler's journey to Tennessee basketball
It's also a credit to two players who defy what much of this era of college basketball is about. They didn't flirt with the transfer portal. They became Vols and they remained Vols.
Culture is a buzzword in athletics. Tennessee's is built on an outward focus — it's not about me. UT has a continuous philosophy that reflects that focus because of Mashack and Zeigler. They established a standard and it resulted in an on-court standard beyond any prior in Vols history.
'They made this program a shoo-in Sweet 16, Elite Eight team,' Phillips said. 'That is the bar they have set — the floor that they have raised.'
Zeigler stepped down the from the raised court Sunday to take a seat. His mind lingered on one moment as the buzzer sounded. It was the first time Barnes called him before he decided to come to Tennessee.
There was a connection that defied the newness of the relationship, which grew into the cornerstone of another special Tennessee season in the best years in the program's history.
"That was a phone call that I didn't realize in the moment, but it changed my life,' Zeigler said.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [e-mail] and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike's coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack: Tennessee basketball legacy unmatched