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Alabama HC Nate Oats gives Vols guard Zakai Zeigler the ultimate compliment after loss to Tennessee

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated 1/20/24

The Tennessee Vols cruised against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, winning 91-71 in front of a packed house at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

Dalton Knecht led the Vols in scoring with 25 points, followed by Jonas Aidoo with 19 points. Jordan Gainey chipped in 15 points off the bench.

Zakai Zeigler, meanwhile, stuffed the shat sheet for Tennessee, scoring eight points while adding four rebounds, six assists, and four steals (with zero turnovers).

After the game, Alabama head coach Nate Oats gave Zeigler one of the biggest compliments you can give a player.

Oats told reporters that it's impossible for the Crimson Tide to prepare for what Zeigler brings to the court because Alabama doesn't have anyone as quick or that plays as hard as the Tennessee guard.

Oats on preparing for Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack's defense: "It's impossible. We don't have anyone on our team that's as quick and plays as hard as Zeigler."
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) January 20, 2024

There's no better compliment that an athlete can receive than an opposing coach talking about how he/she plays. Zeigler will go down as an all-time great at Tennessee not just because of his stats, but because of the way he plays every minute of every game.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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