Now that the Sweet Sixteen is finished, there are just eight teams left vying for a national title. The SEC, the top league in college basketball this season, is home to half of those clubs.
The rivalry between Kentucky and Tennessee was one of the most anticipated Sweet Sixteen games. Emotions were running high only one day before the game when a picture of Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler appeared online. Amari Williams of Kentucky retaliated against Tennessee.
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“When a team that hasn’t defeated us in a long time does anything like that, it’s adorable. We don’t give a damn. “They can do anything they want,” Williams told reporters.
The game was definitely a chippy contest and lived up to the anticipation. The Volunteers dominated the game for 39 minutes and 28 seconds, and they never let their lead fall below double digits in the second half. The Volunteers handled things. To clear up any confusion, head coach Rick Barnes also stated on Wednesday that he would not be retiring.
During the postgame conference following the game, Zeigler was questioned regarding his relationship with his head coach.
“Coach Barnes just ever promised me a shot, which was the only thing I ever asked for. He has never misled me. Zeigler responded, “Never.”
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Barnes gave Zeigler every confidence in the world right from the start. Zeigler is now among the best point guards in the country thanks to that shot and his promise. He now holds the SEC single-season assist record as of Friday. Since his sophomore year, Zeigler has been Knoxville’s leader.
Zeigler, the team’s beating heart, wants to win a title for his greatest buddy in the world, Barnes. Barnes has always kept his word, and Zeigler has only developed because of his head coach’s love, kindness, and faith in him.
