Last week, Tennessee Vols guard Zakai Zeigler had his preliminary injunction for an extra year of college eligibility denied.
Zeigler, who has already played four seasons at Tennessee, is appealing the decision. Rather than finding a job like every other college graduate, former Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is still fighting for another year in college basketball,” wrote Franklin.
“Zeigler, who, I will remind you, played in 138 career games and soon turns 23, still wonโt accept a traditional four-year college career,” added Franklin. “What is it with Tennessee and ignoring all of the rules lately?” We’ll see how this plays out for Zeigler, though I wouldn’t bet on a positive outcome for the former Vol.
Kentucky Sports Radio’s Drew Franklin, however, is apparently so terrified of Zeigler receiving another year of eligibility that he wrote a column about the New York native struggling to “grow up”. I don’t really have a strong stance on whether Zeigler deserves another year of college eligibility. We’re living in strange times when it comes to college sports. Granting Zeigler another year of eligibility would fundamentally change the sport. It would essentially usher in a new era of eligibility rules.
It’s not like Zeigler is the only student-athlete that would benefit from such a ruling. And it’s not like he’s the only student-athlete that’s hoping for an extra year of eligibility. I get it. I’d be scared of Zeigler, too. He’s one of the best defensive players in the sport, and playing against him can be a headache. Publicly showing that you’re scared of a player, though, is a wild move.
The NCAA doesn’t do the Vols any favors, so Franklin’s nightmare of Zeigler returning to Tennessee likely won’t become a reality.
But man, if it does, I’m betting we’ll see one heck of a meltdown from Kentucky fans. Honestly, I think it would be best if things stay the way they’ve always been. Four years of eligibility plus redshirt years (when applicable) makes sense to me. But what I think doesn’t matter, and it won’t have any impact on what happens. But if Zeigler gets the extra year, good for him. It would be fun to see him in a Vols uniform again.
Franklin’s column, however, reeks of fear — he clearly doesn’t want Zeigler to return to Tennessee because Zeigler is a great player. Franklin isn’t writing this column if it’s a backup that’s fighting for an extra year of eligibility. He’s only writing this column because Zeigler is an impact player and he doesn’t want to see the Tennessee guard back in the SEC for a fifth season.
