Zakai Zeigler’s Tennessee basketball eligibility request denied

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Zakai Zeigler’s Tennessee basketball eligibility request denied

© Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Scotty White · ClutchPoints

Thu, Jun 12, 2025 ·

2 min read

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The post Zakai Zeigler's Tennessee basketball eligibility request denied appeared first on ClutchPoints .

Zakai Zeigler has had a very successful career with the Tennessee basketball team as he has been an impact player for the Volunteers since his freshman season back in 2021. Zeigler did not need any adjustment period when he started playing at the college level as he played in 35 games and started in one that season. When this past season came to a close, Zeigler was hoping to get one more year of eligibility to come back to Tennessee , but the request was denied by a judge on Thursday.

The Tennessee basketball team had another strong season this year, but the Volunteers came up short of the Final Four once again with a loss against Houston in the Elite Eight. After the season ended, Zakai Zeigler filed a lawsuit seeking a fifth year of eligibility.

"NEW: Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler has filed a lawsuit seeking a fifth year of eligibility, @Volquest_On3 reports," On3 reported back in May.

On Thursday, a final decision was reached, and Zeigler's career with Tennessee will be coming to an end.

"UPDATE: Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler's preliminary injunction for eligibility has been denied," On3 said in a post.

Zeigler had a memorable career with the Volunteers as he was always a key player for this team. As a freshman in 2021, he played a big role as he ended up averaging 8.8 points per game and 22.1 minutes per game.

During his sophomore season, Zeigler took a nice step as he ended up starting in 15 out of the 30 games that he played, and he averaged double figures in scoring with 10.7 PPG.

What was so great about Zeigler's career is that he got better and better throughout, showing improvements every season. He started in 30 games during his junior year and brought his scoring average up to 11.8 PPG.

This past season was the best of Zeigler's career as he started in 36 games for Tennessee, and he finished the year averaging 13.6 PPG. He is a big reason why the Volunteers had so much success this season as they made another deep run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Zakai Zeigler was hoping to spend one more season with the Tennessee basketball team, but that isn't going to happen. His career with the Volunteers has come to an end, but it is still one that is worth celebrating as it was filled with a lot of success at both the team and individual level.

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