No. 12 Tennessee beat visiting Arkansas 75-57 on Tuesday night, but it came with a cost, as point guard Zakai Zeigler suffered a knee injury and did not return.
Three minutes into the game, Zeigler went down with the injury to his left knee after a baseline drive. He grabbed the knee immediately and needed to be helped off the court by an athletic trainer and a member of the Vols staff.
Tennessee didn’t have an update on the extent of the injury after the game, but coach Rick Barnes and Vols players said it was clear based on what happened that it is serious.
“We all hurt for Zakai,” Barnes said. “For him to stay down (on the floor), he’s hurt. (The players) knew it was serious.”
Zeigler, a sophomore known for the energy he brings on both ends of the court, is averaging 11.0 points and 5.5 assists this season for a Tennessee team that improved to 22-8 overall and 11-6 in the SEC after Tuesday’s win.
Santiago Vescovi, who took over at point guard after Zeigler left hurt, added 14 points for the Vols.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.