Zakai Zeigler, one of the best and most beloved players in Tennessee basketball history, has begun his professional career in France after the conclusion of four years with the Vols. Now, he’s also agreed to play for the Puerto Rico National Team.
Zeigler and the team will play in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying window.
“Welcome Zakai Zeigler to our National Team!,” @fbpur said on Instagram. “The star player from the University of Tennessee and now from France’s LNB Pro A club Nanterre 92 will make his debut in the @fibawc 2027 World Cup qualifying window.”
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Zeigler joined Nanterre 92, a professional team in France, after playing in the NBA Summer League. The team plays in the top-level professional basketball league in the country.
The organization has rostered the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier and Frank Jackson in the past. Nanterre 92 is going on 98 years of being an organization. They have gone under the current name since 2016 and were previously JSF Nanterre.
The program has won a FIBA Europe Cup, FIBA EuroChallenge, French Championship, two French Cups and two Match des Champions.
Zeigler was a four-year star for Tennessee. By the end of his senior year, he had put together one of the best careers in UT history. His awards include Second-Team All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Tournament team nods just in his senior season.
In his final year, Zeigler averaged 13.6 points per game on 40.4% shooting from the field and 32.2% on threes. He also produced 7.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per outing. His career marks of 747 assists and 251 steals are both Tennessee records.
