After another exit in the Elite Eight, the careers of Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack ended for the Tennessee Volunteers. The two guards cemented themselves as two of the greatest players to wear the orange and white in Knoxville. The two players joined Tennessee for the 2021-22 season from opposite coasts as Mashack came in from Fontana, Calif., and Zeigler from Long Island, N.Y. The four-year careers they put together were integral parts of the most successful stretch of Tennessee basketball in its history.
Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack: Two Tennessee All-Time Greats
While the two guards were at Tennessee, the Volunteers won the 2022 SEC Tournament and the 2024 SEC Regular Season title. They also helped the team get to the Sweet 16 for three straight years while appearing in back-to-back Elite Eights. Together, the two players compiled tons of accolades and records.
Both Zeigler and Mashack put their names into the school’s record book as well. Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Zeigler is Tennessee’s all-time leader in career assists (747) and steals (251). The two players also have the most wins by any Tennessee duo in the history of the basketball program. Together, they went 60-5 at home in the Food City Center in Knoxville throughout their careers and ended up the winningest two players in Tennessee’s history.
Both players made their names known around the college basketball landscape based on their defense. Zeigler finished his career as the reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC. He received SEC All-Defensive team honors throughout all four seasons for Tennessee. Zeigler is the only player to accomplish that in the history of SEC basketball. Zeigler’s elite defense is even more impressive when considering his 5-foot-9 frame. Mashack became a member of the All-Defensive team in the SEC this season and is a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist.
What Do These Two Players Do for Tennessee’s Future?
The future of Volunteer basketball has been set in motion because of these two players. The four straight NCAA Tournament appearances that helped get Tennessee to are a part of seven straight appearances in the big dance for the program. These two players were pivotal in ushering in a golden age of Volunteer basketball that led to their status as legends of Tennessee.
Despite their careers being over, the standard these two players set is key for the future. The defensive identity and accolades they collected were not accomplished in vain; rather, they got Tennessee that much closer to getting to the program’s first final four and national championship. With a slew of guards coming in this next high school recruiting class and more coming in the transfer portal, Zeigler and Mashack have set the tone for what it takes to make an elite guard room.
Head coach Rick Barnes is going to have new faces all over the place in his backcourt for the 2025-26 season. However, because of what Zeigler and Mashack have done and accomplished for Tennessee basketball, the goal for what these new, incoming guards can be is insight and very doable. This makes them legendary players in the history of Volunteer hoops.
Photo credit: © Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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