Family Affair: Tennessee, Saint Peter's Matchup Highlighted By Zakai, Armoni Zeigler Battle At NCAA Tournament

The matchup is set between Tennessee and Saint Peter's in the NCAA Tournament, but the biggest story you will hear on Thursday night from Charlotte surrounds the Zeigler family showdown that will take place on the court. 

When Zakai Zeigler and Armoni Ziegler hit the court this evening, memories of backyard shooting, growing up together and the pickup battles between the pair will be put on the backburner, for at least two hours. This is different from the pair playing each other outside the house growing up, but it does mean that both of their dreams came true, which we couldn't have drawn up just a few years ago when Zakai landed on the Tennessee campus. 

Growing up on Long Island, basketball was an escape that took over holidays and after-school chores, a chance to just shoot hoops until the sun went down. The brothers share a father, half-brothers if you want to throw a label on it. But make no mistake about it, these two were inseparable, even with the two-year age gap. 

For Zakai, his dreams of playing college basketball at the highest level were almost just that, a dream. The harsh reality was that Zeigler only had one offer coming out of high school, and that was coincidentally from Saint Peter's. But it was the Peach Jam tournament in Georgia that changed his life, and one basketball game that caught the attention of Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. 

After arriving at the event to scout others, Barnes and his assistant coach saw this scrappy point-guard running circles around opponents at the highly-touted basketball showcase. It was right then that the Vols head coach knew that he needed a player like Zakai, which led to an offer and the rest is a crazy story that is still being written.  

If you are a college basketball fan, then you already know the story of how the Knoxville community embraced Zakai and his family when a house-fire forced them to make a very tough decision about what was next in life. Zeigler had been on-campus at Tennessee, and had grown into a household favorite, when the fire occurred back home in New York. 

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 20: Zakai Zeigler(L) #5 and Dalton Knecht #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers speak with the media during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Click Here: Tennessee Sophomore Zakai Zeigler’s Family Moves Into House Bought By Vol Fans

Not surprising at all, the Tennessee fan base, with the help of the school, started a GoFundMe for the family, which raised more than enough for Zakai's family to move down to Knoxville, while being able to purchase a new house in the area. It was one of the most inspiring stories of the season, and led to Zakai doing everything possible to give back to the Tennessee community, no matter if that meant an autograph or showing up for an event. 

"I’m very proud for my older brother. It’s a great opportunity and experience, happy for what he’s doing," younger brother Armoni Zeigler said on Wednesday. 

Forget The Warm Embrace, This Is Going To Be A Battle Between Brothers

If you were thinking this would be some type of emotional story on Thursday night when these brothers take the court, I've got bad news for you. Growing up and playing against each other has led to some heated battles, none of them bigger than tonight in the NCAA Tournament. But, that doesn't mean these two will let their emotions get the best of them. 

Asked if he had any type of feelings towards his brother Zakai for this matchup in Charlotte, which is a long way from the pickup games in New York, Armoni Zeigler made it clear that this was a war. 

"He’s not my brother anymore, not out there. After the game he can be my brother, right now nah," Armoni noted. 

But as for his brother, Zakai, just the two of them getting to this point should be considered a massive achievement. It was just four years ago that the pair had to sneak into gyms around New York City during the Covid lockdown, trying to find somewhere with actual rims. 

"It was annoying, because we’d go to one gym and it'd be closed. We’d have to sneak into gyms as you have to do out there to play, or you go to a park. In the park they started taking the rims down, so it was hard to play during the Covid year."

Zakai Zeigler and his brother Armoni Zeigler embrace during practice on Wednesday for Tennessee and Saint Peter's

As for Zakai, he looks at this matchup the same as he does any time these two get on the court. Currently, Zakai holds a 6-5 lead in the pickup series, so when I asked about how he would attack his brother on Thursday night, he jokingly said that Armoni had no chance at stopped them. 

"If he guards either one of us, (Dalton Knecht) it's ballgame. On a serious note, like I said before, I'm really competitive. No matter if it's pickup, one-on-one, just a regular workout, I want to win at everything," Zakai Zeigler said on Wednesday. "So it's going to be the same competitiveness and the same mindset. Once we step between the lines, whether it's my friend, my brother, whoever it is, whether it's my dad, it doesn't matter, I'm trying to go out there and win."

Armoni Zeigler meets with reporters before a matchup with his brother Zakai Zeigler in the NCAA Tournament 

Brotherly Love After It's All Said And Done Between The Ziegler Brothers

The Zeigler Family will find a place to unite late Thursday night after both brothers battle on the court for forty minutes. One of their seasons will be coming to an end, while the other will play on Saturday. The emotions and trash-talking will be spread all over the court tonight, but at the end of the day, these two have been through a lot to get here. 

But until the final buzzer goes off inside the Spectrum Arena, these two have a score to settle on the court, surrounded by their teammates. It was two years ago that the Peacocks defeated Kentucky to start their elite-eight run, and a win tonight against Tennessee is not unimaginable, as Wildcat fans can attest to. 

As for the matchup between two brothers, I'd hide the fine china, because the boys are about to go at it again, and Armoni Zeigler is ready for his older brother. 

"I ain't going to have no emotion for him. He’s a regular person right now." 

Game on, Zeiglers.