University of Tennessee men’s basketball star Zakai Zeigler has been named one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday afternoon.
The Bob Cousy Award, named after the 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics and Holy Cross guard, marks its 22nd year by recognizing the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball.
After being a midseason top-10 selection last year, Zeigler is now a finalist for the prestigious award for the first time in his career. The senior from Long Island, N.Y., joins an elite group that includes Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., Marquette’s Kam Jones, Alabama’s Mark Sears, and Purdue’s Braden Smith.
Zeigler is averaging 13.7 points, 7.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game this season. He has reached double figures in scoring in 24 of 28 games, surpassing 15 points in 13 of them, including 10 of his last 13 outings. The 5-foot-9, 172-pound guard has registered at least six assists in 23 games, with eight or more in 13 of those appearances.
Zeigler is ranked ninth in KenPom.com’s National Player of the Year standings and 11th in EvanMiya.com’s Player Ratings. He was included on the midseason watch lists for the Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy, and Wooden Award. Additionally, for the third straight season, he is among the 15 players on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
The winner of the 2025 Bob Cousy Award will be announced on a yet-to-be-determined date during Final Four weekend, alongside the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Other honors to be presented include the Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), as well as the Women’s Starting Five awards.
Last year, a Volunteer earned a Starting Five honor for the first time, with Dalton Knecht winning the Julius Erving Award.
