Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes picked up his second commit of the 2022 cycle on Friday, when point guard Zakai Zeigler announced his commitment to the Volunteers. Zeigler, who attends New York’s Immaculate Conception high school and plays the grassroots circuit for the New Heights Lighting, gives UT some elite quickness in the backcourt.

Below, the newest Vol discusses his commitment, and Rivals.com has a look at what Tennessee is getting.

IN HIS WORDS

ON WHY HE CHOSE THE VOLS

"I feel like Tennessee is by far the best fit for me and what I want to do in the future. I want to be an NBA player, and Rick Banes has shown that he can put guys -- guys that are my size -- in the NBA. I feel comfortable with Coach Barnes and comfortable with what he does."

ON HIS VISIT TO KNOXVILLE

"The visit was great. I thought it was gonna, like, the county to be honest, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t a big city, but it's cool. It’s not like a little town. The school and the downtown area are like a city-type area. I liked that. I expected farms and stuff."

ON HOW HE’LL HELP UT

“My speed is the biggest part of my game because without my speed, I can’t get by people as easily or play defense as easily. I can shoot the ball, too, so that helps. Tennessee likes to play defense, which I like too. That and the fact that I can make open shots means I can help the team.”

ON WHICH HOW HIS RECRUITMENT TOOK OFF

“Coach texted me on Instagram during the Peach Jam [In July]. Then after that we talked on the phone. We just went from there. That’s where it started and we’ve been talking ever since."

WHAT TENNESSEE IS GETTING

What Zeigler lacks in length he makes up for in lateral quickness, end-to-end speed and basketball IQ. The 5-foot-10 point guard makes good decisions with the ball and is capable of operating at a breakneck pace without seeming out of control. He made his mark this summer, seeing his stock rise significantly and drawing offers from major programs. Zeigler comes equipped with elite speed and the ability to get by defenders and create off the dribble. He has the quickness to stay in front of ball-handlers, but his size can limit him a bit from a versatility standpoint on the defensive end. He’s become a much more consistent jump shooter over the last year and certainly has a high-major skill set. Because of his status as a late bloomer, it stands to reason that Zeigler hasn’t come close to reaching his ceiling. He should become an extremely useful piece for Rick Barnes down the road.

COACH’S CORNER

“I think Zakai’s heart is the biggest thing. He’s coachable and he’s a winner. He’s all about winning. That stands out to me the most.” -- New Heights Lightning coach Shandue McNeil, who coached Zeigler on the grassroots circuit.

“One thing I’d say about Tennessee and Coach Barnes is that multiple guys that I trust spoke highly of Coach Barnes. That helped me feel comfortable with him. He coached one of our guys, Kevin Punter. Coach Banes also recruited me coming out of high school. I've always been really comfortable with what he did and the people that I trust trust him. People that have nothing related to the situation always speak highly of him.” -- Shandue McNeil