Austin Price: Hello everybody and welcome in for another episode of Vol Club Confidential. I'm your host Austin Price, Tennessee coming off the weekend at Texas a and m. They'll have another big road game midweek this week at Arkansas. But before we get to talk about the basketball team was the Zakai Ziegler and Tobe Awaka. We bring in Brandon Spurlock of the ball club and we've seen an uptick in membership here recently, Brandon, as we hit the early part of February. Yeah, Brandon Spurlock: Momentum is good as we're rolling through basketball here and getting ready to start off. Baseball season was just over there. The stadium is looking nice and ready to roll, so that means good weather and another great sports team that kind of carries on from football to basketball to baseball. So exciting time and the membership has followed just with the positive momentum and everything that's going on out Austin Price: There. Yeah, almost two weeks ago since the old Poni field had six weeks of less winter and an early spring and to this point the weather's going to turned. Maybe he's going to be right for a change. Hit rates about 39%. So it seems Brandon Spurlock: Nothing like bringing on spring, like the start of baseball. Austin Price: Oh, a hundred percent. Of course they'll get started coming up this coming weekend down in the state of Texas. Will Tony Vitello and the baseball balls, some new merch here with the 8, 6, 5 hats. Brandon Spurlock: Yeah, we just got these in some stuff behind us too. So everything that we have is available. The volunteer club.com as always. So great time to join. Great time to shop around and get some merchandise, so got something for everybody Austin Price: There. I think we'll get one with you. And just the red beard, Brandon Spurlock: Do that. Just a Austin Price: Silhouette. The red beard. I love it. Now let's get to tonight's smarty guest and that is Zakai Ziegler and Tobe Awaka. So we joke before we started my Tennessee accent's going to really shine through with you guys, with you New York. Kind of take me through what it's like going from there to here and you said you noticed your accent and his accent more now than you ever have. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, I mean it was a big culture shock because even when I first came to Tennessee on my visit, I thought it was going to be like cornfield. Austin Price: Everybody thinks that football recruits, everybody thinks they cowboy. Yeah, Zakai Zeigler: People told me that too. I didn't think it was going to be like this. The people is two different types of people too. People are way nicer, they show a lot of love. It is just real different. But from speaking aspect, it is hard for me to understand some people when they're talking to me and vice versa. A lot of people tell me it's hard for them to understand what I'm saying. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, I mean I felt the same way for sure. I think down here there's a lot of hospitality. New York is kind of known for its grit and people with attitudes, things like that. But there's definitely a lot of hospitality down here and yeah, yeah, definitely no cornfields. It's a lot more, I guess suburban city. Like Austin Price: New York's been so important to Tennessee basketball. You look at Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, Tobias Harris, you boys. I mean, did you know anything about Tennessee at all before you got here? Did you know the history of guys that have come from up there, down here before you got here? Zakai Zeigler: Only reason why I knew about Tobias is because he's from Long Island and we are pretty much from the same area. He went to school with my cousins. So I knew about Tobias growing up. I used to go to high school games. I was a little boy, but that's the only person I really knew about and I knew about LaMonte Turner, but that's about it. I ain't know about nothing else. Anything about Tennessee, period. Austin Price: Have you learned about Bernard King since you've been down here? Tobe Awaka: A little bit here and there. Like snippets Austin Price: Mean you see his in the rafters when you're over there in prep. Zakai Zeigler: He show every day, every day. That's something that Tamika go harder. He is a hall of fame band, so it make you work Austin Price: More. Tennessee's only one of two schools in the entire SEC Tennessee and Auburn to have a hall of Famer in each sport. Baseball now that Todd Hilton just got elected in to the Hall of Fame, he joins Frank Thomas and of course Bernard King and basketball in the Tennessee's gotten a handful of Hall of Famers in football. So I mean New York has been important to this place. How much did you guys know each other growing up though? I mean just outside of aau? Pretty much it. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, Tobe Awaka: Pretty, I would say basically a u. I knew of him in high school, but you see a lot of guys play throughout your high school experience. But we really connected when we were on a U. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, I used to make him sleep on the little couches when he was on Tobe Awaka: Rolls. He's actually twisting the story. That's a lie. I told him to get off and sleep on the couch. Zakai Zeigler: That's a lie. That's a Tobe Awaka: Lie. But teach his on it's all Zakai Zeigler: Good. That's a lie. I'm not the dude from Kentucky I that happen. I wouldn't let that happen. Austin Price: You said you knew of him. What did you know? What was the, I guess what was the reputation for Zika? Ziegler Tobe Awaka: Just a gritty New York point guard. You'll see highlights from different games. He went to Immaculate in Jersey so they weren't close, but they were close enough to where you saw games here and there, you would see highlights. So yeah, I knew the name for sure, but we didn't really get to know each other Zakai Zeigler: For real. And he knew that when I transferred to OSL, that if we would've played Hayes, Tobe Awaka: Yo see, we would've Zakai Zeigler: Beat them by at least 20 to 30 points. We would've beat them by 20 to 30 Tobe Awaka: Points. I can't say that we would've won because his team was stacked. His team was definitely stacked. But it definitely would've been a competitive Zakai Zeigler: Game. Yeah, we would've spanked him. Tobe Awaka: It definitely would've been a competitive game. Zakai Zeigler: It would've been too easy in my opinion. Tobe Awaka: That's his opinion. Zakai Zeigler: My opinion differs, but it's all good. Austin Price: I remember talking to you when you were a recruit and all those pictures, you were skinnier back then. You had the glasses, the goggles or Zakai Zeigler: Don't mention that around. Don't mention that around what's crazy. We used to think back then, yo Toby was built like how he is now. That's how we used to look at him. And now even when I look at the pictures, I'll be like, yo, your body has changed since you got the college. You don't really notice it being around somebody every day. Even for yourself. For myself, I don't even haven't seen my body change, but looking back at pics and stuff, it's definitely different. Austin Price: I think you can bring the goggles back, be horse grant, bring new horse grant. They're Zakai Zeigler: Retired, bring them back cracked and all that. You lying. I mean they're in my room, but they're all beat up cracked. Nah, you got to bring them back, bro. One for the one time at least. Maybe Senior Unite, maybe, I don't know. Austin Price: Senior. You won't be here by then. You won't be able to give him time. Be able give him a hard time. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah. He'll be in the league by time. Hope. That's Hope. Austin Price: What was his reputation? Zakai Zeigler: Oh, just the beast. My bros, my cousins, they would call me and say, because they'll go to his games and I would be having games, but they'll go to his games and they'll be like, yo, Toby just dunked on somebody. Or he just had 20 and 20. He was just unstoppable. But he was stoppable. If my school would've played dunk. That's how I see it. That's not it. That's the only way. He was really unstoppable. That's not it. But yeah, he was just a beast. I didn't know if we would've had an answer for you, but y'all didn't have answer for me. I don't think you know who you know who he knows. We would've had an answer. I don't think so. We would've had a couple answers. We can only speculate. Yeah, we can only speculate. The man above saved you. That's all I got to say today. It depends too whether we would've played at our place or your place. No, it doesn't matter. I don't know. We could have played Ja. OSL at Hayes. At Hofstra. OSL would've been hectic at Johnny's. OSL would've been hectic. We really should have played John Nationals for the state. We're not federation, we're not in there. Oh, that is true. Independent. That's true. His Austin Price: Levels. Do you all ever not talk trash? Zakai Zeigler: Nah, it's a constant thing. Every single day he tries to talk all day. He does not. He does all the, it's straight jokes every single day. And he does it to try to Austin Price: Get under your skin. Make me Zakai Zeigler: Respond in some way and I'll just ignore it and he'll keep going until I say or do something and then it's like, oh, Toby's being a bully. Tobe don't be no bully. I'm just saying some people haven't. I've seen Toby cry. Why are you lying? I've seen Toby cry. I've made him shed a tears. Yeah, that's a lie i's a lie. Austin Price: I wouldn't say your name when you played high school basketball, when you would go on the road, they would butcher it. Zakai Zeigler: Nah. Austin Price: Do they get it right? Most of the time. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah. Tobe. Yeah. Tobe Awaka: Yeah. It wasn't, I mean by then most people, Zakai Zeigler: What about your last name? Tobe Awaka: They never really said my last name for Zakai Zeigler: Real. Nobody. Nobody said my name. Right. Austin Price: What'd they call you? Zakai Zeigler: Z? They would just have to call me Z, but if announcer said my name or something, it would be like Zach, KZ. It would be a bunch of names. I wouldn't even understand why they would even think it's that, but that's why I started people, people just started calling me Z or Kai. That's really it. I didn't get called ZZ until I got down here Austin Price: From the moment he signed, I've called him Fozzie Bear. Why you ever watch The Muppets? Zakai Zeigler: Nah, I'm not a big TV guy. Really? Austin Price: So Fozzie Bear is a character in the Muppets. You don't like Kermit the Frog? Yeah. And he tells jokes and after every joke he says Waka Waka. Zakai Zeigler: What's it called again? Tobe Awaka: Oh, I think the Muppets imts. I Zakai Zeigler: Saw it on Twitter. Yeah, I kept hearing people. I heard people say that before, but I didn't know that's what it was from. Tobe Awaka: I didn't know. Yeah, I me either. Austin Price: That's crazy. You got Kermit, Ms. Piggy, and then there's Fozzie Bearer. Zakai Zeigler: Is there a Ms. Piggy told Tobe Awaka: Ms. Piggy what you mean? Zakai Zeigler: I'm just asking a question. Tobe Awaka: I be Austin Price: Asking you that question. He's asking if there's a female in your life. Zakai Zeigler: Oh, is there Tobe Awaka: A female in your Zakai Zeigler: Life? I'm asking you a question, Tobe Awaka: But alright, so if I answer, can you answer it? Yeah, sure. Yeah. Zakai Zeigler: Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. I love my mother today. There's always going to be a female in my lane. Tobe Awaka: I was talking about my sister, so Austin Price: This is fantastic. So let's rewind back. More recent times, Kentucky, you all play that game against South Carolina and it's just kind of, I mean that was the night. Just nothing went in. You didn't make a shot. I remember after the game, like Jeff GaN who does the PA at Thompson Bowling is like, oh, let's go over the scores. So-and-so too, so-and-So two, so-and-So two, and then Dalton's got 31, and then you flip it to Kentucky and it's the opposite. Dalton has this down game and you all stepped up big and started making all kinds of plays, fighting people. What was that game like? Atmosphere and going in? Did you almost feel like it's not a must win, but it kind of is for us, if we're going to go get the goals and win the SEC regular season, that type of stuff, we need to get this one? Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, well we definitely felt like it was a must win, so I wouldn't even say that. We don't feel like that. Every opponent that we play, we play with the same respect. In the same urgency. Every game is a must win game. And so going into that place, we knew it was going to be kind of rowdy and I didn't even think it was rowdy or that loud. We've been in much more hostile event places, so I don't think it was that bad. But going into it, we definitely thought it was a must win for sure. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, for sure. I think that going into the game we thought you would have a big impact on how the rest of the season was going to go. In our eyes, we lost a game that we weren't supposed to lose. Obviously had a tough night offensively. But yeah, we went into Kentucky knowing that no matter what, we had to come out with the w. Austin Price: I know you want to win at home, but how much more fun is it to win on the road? Watch because got Tennessee fans at Border War, so I mean there's still quite a bit of Orange and Ru. And so when y'all got up 13 three, how much could you, I mean it's easy to say I block out the noise, but could you hear the Tennessee fans when you all had those little spurts Start the first half. Start the second half? Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, for sure. Because their fans started to boo a little bit at the refs or something. We would be pressuring the ball. The fans would start saying, we found clearly wasn't. But it's a really good feeling winning on the road because seeing the arena go from packed out to empty the game. Best game is still going on a minute and a half left. People just get up and start walking out and leaving. Tobe Awaka: You see everybody Zakai Zeigler: Calling me traffic going like this. Yeah, that's a way better feeling. Austin Price: Is that the most fun game you play every year? Is that ru? Tobe Awaka: It's definitely up there. Yeah, it is definitely up there. Zakai Zeigler: But Tobe Awaka: I thought College Station was pretty fun last year. Yeah, Texas a and m, I thought that was pretty fun. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, that was a pretty fun game. But all the games in TBA, those games is always fun. Yeah, there's nothing to compare really, in my opinion. Austin Price: What's the best part of the presentation at TBA? Do you like the intros? Do you like the runout? What do you look forward to most? It's different. Football's got the ball walk they've got running through the tee. For you guys, what kind of resonates for you all? Zakai Zeigler: I would say the pregame video that gets me going a lot. They start playing the fire and stuff in the middle of the court. Everybody starts cheering. It's like a flashlight show. And so once they finally start calling names and stuff, everybody just start. They get louder and louder. And then Austin Price: Internally, what's it like, because when you're starting and you're coming off the bench, so are you amped and you have to kind of calm down or how is it from an emotion standpoint for both of Tobe Awaka: You? For me it's like I'm amped and then I got to cool down and Austin Price: Then get amped. Tobe Awaka: Amped because I'm on the bench so I got to calm down a little bit. But then once that coal mine ended again in the game, I'm adrenaline skyrocketing. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, well I wouldn't even know how to answer that because I'm always hype, but in some way, shape or form, some way I'm always hype or laughing about something or joking about something or something. So I would just say I'm hype going into the game, but I just stay like that really. I honestly start to get a little mad going into the games. Austin Price: Who's the best trash talker on this team? Tobe Awaka: It's guy. It's not even, I figured it's not even close. It's really not even close. Do you ever Austin Price: Stop? Tobe Awaka: No. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, I stopped Tobe Awaka: I think during Austin Price: The games. Tobe Awaka: No, I think there was one time I called him asleep on the couch in the dorm and he was whispering and I'm pretty sure he was trash talking in his sleep. To be completely Zakai Zeigler: Honest. One day he's in the dorm. I called Toby asleep. Asleep and he was asleep walking actually. And he was rebounding it. Yo, it was the craziest thing I ever seen. He was doing post moves against the wall. Craziest thing I ever seen. Austin Price: It's like you got him and now he feels the need to up the ante and say you're doing post moves against the wall Zakai Zeigler: In your sleep. Am I lying? Yo. So we need to take it there. Am I lying? Tobe Awaka: I like the energy though. I respect it. Okay, Zakai Zeigler: Okay. I really don't try to joke that much. I just like Tobe Awaka: You need to come the podcast and lie bro. Why? Zakai Zeigler: Who's lying? You know you trash talk. I just like to laugh and I like to talk with my Austin Price: Bros. Who gives you a run for your money though? When you're playing against them, you enjoy kind of the banter back and forth? I don't mean in a negative way. I mean you probably bring out the best in him. He probably brings out the best in you. Is there someone that you've won against multiple times where you're like, oh yeah, this is fun. Zakai Zeigler: Coach Barnes. Austin Price: Oh, coach Barnes. I'm talking about an opponent. Zakai Zeigler: Oh, an opponent. Nah, nobody. It's nobody. Austin Price: Nobody's on your level. Tobe Awaka: I'm not surprised at the answer honestly. Zakai Zeigler: I'm telling I got to come back for a lot of things. He Tobe Awaka: Did have research before games Zakai Zeigler: For sure. Austin Price: Really you do a deep dive on every kid. Zakai Zeigler: I got a lot of comebacks. It is just fun and at the end of the day it is just competitiveness. I look at it as that. Austin Price: Do opposing coaches, do you ever get chirping with the opposing coaches? Zakai Zeigler: I haven't, but I've seen one player and one coach get into it before And that was Bruce Bull or Plavic? The only encounter I ever seen and it was one of the funniest situations I've seen with my eyes. I can't say what was said but it was hilarious. Tobe Awaka: Was that your freshman year? Zakai Zeigler: Yeah. No, it was last year. Really? Yeah. Oh, okay. It was last year for sure. Austin Price: You didn't see it, you didn't have your goggles on? Probably Zakai Zeigler: Not exactly. Probably not. Yeah. So you got to bring your goggles up so you can see about you. I don't know. We'll Austin Price: See now your mom lives down here so she's at everything. What about your folks? Tobe Awaka: They're up in New York. They're both nurses so their schedules are always hectic. So they're always running around doing stuff. So yeah. Austin Price: So how often do they get down? Tobe Awaka: They haven't been down since my visit. Really just been busy with work and all that. Austin Price: It's been a rough few years. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, that is true. That is true by us. Hospitals always packed stuff going on, different stuff to take care of. So they're always busy. Austin Price: Anything you do during the game to let 'em know you go to the foul line. Jeff Hoek always used to. Do you even know who Jeff Hoek is? I'm pulling out names that you guys probably don't know who exists. Zakai Zeigler: They sound familiar but I don't think I know Tobe Awaka: Him. Jeff, four sec. He Austin Price: Was a guard. He played on those 97 98 jazz teams with Malone in Stockton. Tobe Awaka: I've Zakai Zeigler: Definitely heard the name before. That's his favorite Tobe Awaka: Player. That's not my favorite Austin Price: Player. I can see that. Tobe Awaka: That's crap. That's not my favorite player. Zakai Zeigler: He was talking about him earlier, me and Jamiah. Maha was old token and he said his favorite play Tobe Awaka: Was called No Way. This is like an inside joke, but we're not going to release that on there. It's your favorite player. No it's not. Zakai Zeigler: It is him. Austin Price: Who is your favorite player? Tobe Awaka: I'd probably say Jordan. Kobe a close second. Austin Price: We don't even have to ask the question now. You gave your answer a few years ago, didn't you? Zakai Zeigler: Last year? mj? Tobe Awaka: Yeah, so mj, it's not even a question. Zakai Zeigler: I'm going to say mj. This is my generation. This is what I've seen with my own eyes. I understand the last dance and what he's done. I've watched the last dance, but I've still seen this with my eyes. What LeBron has done. So that's always going to be, Austin Price: That's got to be. So what did he do? Zakai Zeigler: What do you mean? Austin Price: What did he do? He scored points. Okay, what did he do? Four and six. He never won. Defensive player of the year. Oh, Tobe Awaka: So you have your answer Austin Price: Already. Well mine but again much. Zakai Zeigler: Would you rather lose in the first round or the chip? Austin Price: You six or Tobe Awaka: Six or something though. Austin Price: Loses lose. Tobe Awaka: They always Zakai Zeigler: But MJ wasn't getting there. Huh? When he went there, he won. I give him that, but when he didn't go he was getting dog walked Austin Price: By. Who though? Zakai Zeigler: The bad boys. Austin Price: The bad boys and the Celtics. Larry Bird. Zakai Zeigler: Hey, Los is a Lewis you said? Austin Price: No, it is. I'm just saying Tobe Awaka: I think LeBron and MJ both had years that they had to grow up. The only thing I would say is that I feel like LeBron didn't really have as much time as MJ to grow up. He was the hype with him coming into league was crazy. Austin Price: That's the most impressive thing is he's lived up to the hype exceeded 18 years old even before then. Really And exceeded it. Tobe Awaka: But mj, he wasn't as big of a name. He had time to sort of grow up and rise into that kind of role. You know what I mean? So that's the one thing that's definitely impressive about LeBron. He lived up to the hype and exceeded Austin Price: It. The funny thing is if you said who are you more like and from a personality standpoint, I would tell you you're a lot more like Jordan because you're a cutthroat. Zakai Zeigler: Really? Yeah. Austin Price: You don't like losing. Hate it. You'd do anything to win. Zakai Zeigler: Facts Tobe Awaka: Can't shut up. Yeah. Zakai Zeigler: MJ was a tricycle like that. Austin Price: Yes Tobe Awaka: He was. He might've been worse than you. He would say Zakai Zeigler: There's a lot of people worse than me. He really want to talk about it. I'm not that bad. He's making me seem like a bad Tobe Awaka: Guy. No, he's not a bad guy Zakai Zeigler: That much. He's Tobe Awaka: Just uber competitive, so he's always going to try to get a leg up no matter what. So our Austin Price: Little tally on the bottom of the screen, I think it was 8.5, now it's nine six. Jamiah took Jordan. Zakai Zeigler: That's his favorite player. Yeah, that's his favorite player. How different MJ is like the biggest icon. Austin Price: Yeah, it is not close pal. Zakai Zeigler: That plays a big part in it too. Austin Price: Yeah, there are things about LeBron that I think are super impressive. Again, living up to the hype. His all around game is fantastic. There are things he lacks though. Zakai Zeigler: Do you think Jordan didn't like things though? Everybody do. Austin Price: No, everybody does lacks something. But when you look at the totality of the game, 10 time all defense, one time defensive player of the year scoring champ. I think actually it's nine times all defense. 10 times scoring champ. I mean you can just kind go. It's all around game. Zakai Zeigler: You can say scoring anything. LeBron leads the dope. The NBA average in scoring. Austin Price: Yeah. Longevity. That's the Zakai Zeigler: Hey, that's not his. Austin Price: That's a perk to him. That's a perk to him. He stayed healthy, right? I mean he's not had any big, big injuries. No. All right, let's turn to the hair. How often are you going to have those braided? Zakai Zeigler: I'm wearing superstitious about my hair. If I play good and my hair looks like this, it's going to be left like this for the next game. But if I play Austin Price: Bad, so after the Kentucky game, you're just letting that thing roll? Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, I had an appointment scheduled but I was like I can't even go. Can't do it. But if my hair is done, I'm going to get it done again. If I play good, I'm going to get it done. Austin Price: Right. Where do you go? Let's give that person some love. Where do you go? Zakai Zeigler: Asia? Shout out Asia. Yep. Tobe Awaka: Shout out Asia. Zakai Zeigler: She did his hair too. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, when I got my corn row for a little bit. She did mine too. Austin Price: When you bringing that back? Zakai Zeigler: We've all been asking this question. Tobe Awaka: I don't know. Probably later in the month. Probably maybe early March. Austin Price: Once you get to the tournament time, you got to leave it with what you've been doing. You can't be switching it up at that point in time. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, it depends. I don't know if I am playing well, I might leave it too. Depends on what the vibe is. I don't know. But I did like it the first time. I didn't know how it was going to turn out. That was my first time braiding my hair. So yeah, he gave me the contact though, so I just said why not. So Austin Price: Since you've got all this love for Jordan, do you like watching old clips? Do you like watching? Yeah, for sure. So what big men do you like to watch Tobe Awaka: Big Men do? I like to watch. I don't watch big Men like that, surprisingly probably Duncan I would say is who I've watched the most of. Austin Price: His hair now near 50 years old is fantastic. Yeah, that's wild. I mean he played with such a clean cut guy his whole career now. For sure. I think he's long. Zakai Zeigler: I wonder if that's the reason he wanted to wait until he was done playing or something. I wonder if, because some people, I don't know. Some people superstitious like that too. Tobe Awaka: That's true. Zakai Zeigler: That's true. Tobe Awaka: I love watching Dirk too. Dirk No Whiskey. I love watching him play too. Austin Price: What's one part of your game you want to see improve? Tobe Awaka: I probably shooting. Just being able to stretch the fall a little bit more. I feel like inside I've definitely improved. Just need to be more patient and picking my spots, things like that. But definitely expanding my game, hitting that mid range shot sooner or later. Standing to the three point line, things like that. What Austin Price: About you? Zakai Zeigler: I would really say my passing. I want to be a way better pastor and that's one thing me and Coach Barnes talked about and I know I can get better at it for sure. Austin Price: Can you pick things up from Santy? Because obviously that's him being crafty and I mean we talked about that last week on the show. He'd rather make a great new look past than stick one in your eye from 25 feet. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, nah, you definitely can because one of the smartest players, if not the smartest player on the team for sure, he can see something happen, see something about to happen and boom, somehow some way somebody can be wided open just because he just told us what to do. But he's definitely a really smart player and you can pick up a lot of things from his game. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, no doubt. He's one of those guys where it's like he sees 3, 4, 5 steps ahead, so he'll pass up an open shot. You're like, why did you do that? And then you'll see the play unfold and he finds somebody open for a dump down dunk or a wide open corner, three stuff like that. It's just like wow, Austin Price: You can't name each other. I'm not saying you would, but you can't. I'm taking that off the table. Who's the one teammate that if you had a flat tire or whatever, if I call this person, they're going to be there. Zakai Zeigler: Well, I can say Santi and Jordan for sure, for sure. I got stuck in the snow a little while ago and I called Mc and Austin Price: Mary Carter. This is the third straight episode. Fourth straight episode. She gets the love. Zakai Zeigler: I called mc and then they called me and was like, yo, we on our way, we're about to come get you. Because I knew they was at the gym or everybody was around each other. So I called her and then they was like, yo, we on our way, we're about to come help you out. And they sure enough did help me get home. They was out there in that snow right with me. So I could say them too for sure. Tobe Awaka: I'd probably say Josiah or Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, Joe too. Tobe Awaka: Or Grant Hurst. Shout out Grant. He's my roommate right now. But yeah, Josiah, he's one of those guys where whenever you pick up the phone, whenever you call him, I mean he always picks up the phone. And then Grant, he's one of those guys where he's always checking up on you, making sure you're okay. So just a real high class guy. Zakai Zeigler: So do you think Grant doesn't like me? He doesn't answer my phone. Josiah answer. Him Tobe Awaka: And Grant have an interesting relationship. That's my guy. It's like, I don't know, twin brother kind of relationship or whatever. I don't know. You Austin Price: Guys live across the river? Zakai Zeigler: No, Austin Price: No, no, no. You're campus or campus side On campus? Zakai Zeigler: I'm downtown. Tobe Awaka: He is a penthouse in Austin Price: Downtown. Zakai Zeigler: Don't listen to him Austin Price: Now. I didn't know if you lived across the river. If you're coming from the South Knox, we cross the river and then you turn right as soon as you come across and basically you make another right and it takes you down the hill and down on Neland Drive. Yeah, you're talking about being, I remember that was the one time in college where it really snowed for me. This was again 20 years ago. Not quite, but almost. And I remember going down that hill and it was ice and I was like, this was the dumbest decision ever. I just knew I was going to slide right out into the guard rail and then right out into Neland Drive. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, because when they said it was going to snow, I was like, okay, it is going to be cleaned up in a little Austin Price: While in New York. Yes. Here it shuts everything back. Tobe Awaka: I was baffled. I was like, wow. Zakai Zeigler: Because it really didn't snow that much. Tobe Awaka: The snow wasn't Austin Price: Because that's the most snow it's had since 93. So you just don't prepare for it. They don't. Tobe Awaka: We Zakai Zeigler: Would be going to school for sure. We would. People would be walking around, people would be on the trains and the buses. Everybody would be living a regular life. It Tobe Awaka: Would be regular there. Austin Price: Yankees, you and I have had this conversation. Yankees. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, I was also a little bit of a Cubs fan, but my high school was right by Yankee stadium though. Cardinal Hayes. So I was always going to the Yankees, Yankee games here and there. You'd always see a crowd of people lining up for the game. Stuff like that. Austin Price: Bronson, does he deserve MVP? The Knicks? Zakai Zeigler: I think he deserved to be in the conversation Tobe Awaka: For sure. Yeah, for sure. Zakai Zeigler: But mv Tobe Awaka: But saying that he might not make the but you because he has play certain of games. Yeah, he got Austin Price: To play 65 Zakai Zeigler: Because he got New York on his back right now for sure. He doing what he got to do. He taking care of us for Austin Price: Sure. MSG. When was the first time you all played there? Tobe Awaka: FAU. Austin Price: So last year for me Tobe Awaka: At least, I'm not sure. Zakai Zeigler: My first year Verse Austin Price: Two NI Texas Zakai Zeigler: Tech. Nah, I never played in no NIT. Austin Price: I thought it was the preseason in it. Wasn't it the preseason N ITT against Texas Zakai Zeigler: Tech? No, it was the Jimmy V classic. Okay. I remember it was the worst basketball game ever. We went in overtime and then we had 40 points. Both teams Tobe Awaka: Really. Zakai Zeigler: I would never forget that day. Nobody made the shot in, Austin Price: Made the South Carolina game look good. Zakai Zeigler: It made the South Carolina game look great. And it was crazy because the teams after us that played, I think it was Villanova and Syracuse and those teams had the same exact performance pretty much. They was trying to say something with the basketball or something, what was going on because nobody made shots. Everybody. That's crazy. Everybody just had a off day. I'll never forget that. Austin Price: How different is that place? Tobe Awaka: It's not what I expected. I thought it was going to be way bigger. It's a little bit more compact, but you could definitely see the mysticism and just the arena and how people are outside doing the whole deal. Yeah. So it definitely lived up to the hype for sure. Austin Price: If this team's going to make the run you guys hope to make, what has to happen? Zakai Zeigler: I would just say everybody is a collective doing our job, what we need to do to win and just that and everybody take care of their job. Obviously some nights the bulls are going to go in the basket, but taking care of little details like executing plays or getting defensive stops when we need to. Little stuff like that. But everybody taking care of our jobs. Austin Price: Finding a way to when you don't have your A game. For Zakai Zeigler: Sure. Exactly. For sure. And I think everybody on the team understands that for sure. And we all want to win and we know what we can do. And that's win the national championship. We all believe that we actually can do that. It is not one got in that locker room that I don't think doesn't believe that or doesn't want to, but I just think just doing little things like that and just wanting to win. We will do it. Tobe Awaka: Most definitely. Austin Price: Let's do some rapid fire. Favorite thing to eat? Zakai Zeigler: Chicken. Tobe Awaka: Chicken wings. Austin Price: Do you mean wings? Fried Zakai Zeigler: Chicken. Any fried chicken. Tobe Awaka: He has a go-to meal. He likes to go to, but I'm not even going to, I'm going to let him disclose that if he wants to be all right. I dunno. I Zakai Zeigler: Could disclose it myself. Fried chicken, my mom make it. Austin Price: I think we talked about that when you were out last time. Yeah. Zakai Zeigler: In Peas. Really Tobe Awaka: In peace. Really. Zakai Zeigler: That's my favorite meal my mom make it. I could have that every day for the rest of my life. That's the meal with hot sauce. Tobe Awaka: Respect. Respect. Okay. Zakai Zeigler: With hot sauce. And I got to have a bath. I got to have something to dream. Austin Price: Favorite superhero. Zakai Zeigler: My mom. Tobe Awaka: See, I was going to say Black Panther made me look bad. Zakai Zeigler: Oh Tobe Awaka: Man. Zakai Zeigler: That's not making you look bad. I used to hope when I was little so I could say Hope or Superman. Superman. I was a big Superman fan. Austin Price: Favorite place in the city to go to? Zakai Zeigler: That's a great question. And I'm saying this being honest. I'm going to say Chick-fil-A because it's not too many. But listen, it is not too many Chick-fil-As in New York. Am I room? Oh man. No, Tobe Awaka: It's not. Honestly, I've only heard of Zakai Zeigler: One. Yeah, it is only one or two Chick-fil-As in New York. Really? So I didn't have Chick-fil-A consistently like this until I Austin Price: Got, I was there in March and I ate at Chick-fil-A mostly because it was right beside my hotel. We ate there once, right near John's Pizza. You ever been to John's Pizza? Zakai Zeigler: You me, Joe's? Austin Price: No John's. This is John's pizzeria. It's right off of right near all the Broadway shows. Zakai Zeigler: I'm Austin Price: Not sure. Not too far off. Tom Square near, what's the cheesecake place up there? Oh geez. Zakai Zeigler: I forgot what it's called. I know what you're talking about. I know exactly what you're talking about. Tobe Awaka: I forgot. But Joe's in Brooklyn, right? Or am I tripping? Zakai Zeigler: Joe's in Manhattan, but yeah, I'll have to say Chick-fil-A. It's not too many of those out there. And the ones that is out there, they top tier fire. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, I'm going to sound like a tourist, but I love Times Square though. I just love the atmosphere. Austin Price: No, I don't think you sound like a tourist. I mean New York is just a different place. I mean you can go to the touristy spots and it's still, Zakai Zeigler: I used to have to go to Time Times Square and Madison Square Garden. I used to see it every day because that's where the main train station is. And I had to transfer there going to school in Jersey or going somewhere in the Bronx. That's where I had to transfer from. So I would be there every single day. Austin Price: All right, let's go your house to, I'm trying to think of, let's just go to your house to Times Square. Give me the subway route. Subway Zakai Zeigler: Route. My house is far route. I could take the Aron straight. There it is. Well first I would take the X train. I'll take a one stop. Then I'll transfer and get on at Beach 91st and take Beach 91st all the way to 42nd Street. Times Square, Austin Price: Boom. Yeah, Tobe Awaka: My house at Times Square. I'd probably have to take the train in Poughkeepsie from Hyde Park. So I would drive from Hyde Park to Poughkeepsie, take the train all the way down to Grand Central Station. That's in Manhattan. Not Austin Price: Too far of a walk from there. Tobe Awaka: Nah. And I think I could walk from the Times Square from there. Yeah. That's probably like a 10 minute walk. Austin Price: Five 10 minute walk. 10 minute walk. Yep. You guys love the subway. Zakai Zeigler: I find it easy to take. Really? Austin Price: I do too. I agree. Zakai Zeigler: It's not bad because no traffic. But it do get stuck on the tunnels. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, Zakai Zeigler: They get stuck. Tobe Awaka: I've gotten stuck multiple times. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, it's no service. So you just under there and you got to wait until a day, until the train move. Tobe Awaka: You can't do anything on your phone sometimes too. Zakai Zeigler: That's the only annoying part about it. But I'm cool taking the subway. Austin Price: You guys like heights, would you go to observatories? Tobe Awaka: No. Zakai Zeigler: He don't like heights. No. Austin Price: So the tall guy, he doesn't like heights got, Zakai Zeigler: I mean I'm not scared of heights, but it get to a point where I'd be like, yo, I just got to know I'm secure. If I'm in a safe area, I move Tobe Awaka: Around. When we went to Italy and we went up to the show, Zakai Zeigler: Toby was spazzing out. Yeah, Tobe Awaka: I was like, yo, get me out of here bro. Zakai Zeigler: Cause we went to, what was it? The cathedral? Tobe Awaka: Yeah, yeah. C was in Italy. Zakai Zeigler: And it was like the space was probably about maybe this wide and everybody had to walk up these stairs and you are walking. You just walking up. So the stairs is just winding up just like this. And they're like, yeah, we're not even close to what The way we got to get to just couldn't do it to was like, what? I'm leaving everybody. Move. Move. You. Started moving us out the way back down. Tobe Awaka: I started getting claustrophobic, the tight span. I couldn't do it. Austin Price: Is that what happened to Kentucky? You got claustrophobic in Tobe Awaka: There? Zakai Zeigler: I don't think so. Austin Price: I don't know. Tobe Awaka: Nah, I don't know. I just, it Austin Price: Looked like tight quarters to me. Tobe Awaka: Buttons got pushed and things happened and Zakai Zeigler: I press his butt. I always bother him Austin Price: All the time. Where were you at during that? Zakai Zeigler: Oh, I was in the back instigating. Tobe Awaka: He was instigating. That's what he was doing. Get Zakai Zeigler: Told, get him, told he was in, get him told. Because I know he wouldn't have struggled in that battle, so why try to stop the situation? I know he's going to win that battle. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, that was wild. That was wild. Austin Price: What's Barn saying in those instances? Tobe Awaka: I mean this instance, he gave me a high five in the huddle. Yeah, Zakai Zeigler: Especially in a situation like that. He wasn't wrong, so I don't think coach would've gotten that mad. But he was definitely hyped up a little. He was a fired up after Definitely. Tobe Awaka: Definitely am. Austin Price: What's one thing that you want to accomplish individually before you leave? Tobe Awaka: I dunno. Maybe make all SEC Probably. Yeah, that's probably the main thing Zakai Zeigler: I would say. Defensive player or Bob Zi. Those are one of the two. Tobe Awaka: He already has that in lock. After the game he had against Kentucky. Zakai Zeigler: Those are one of two of the awards that I would get that I really want to get one or the that I'm great. I'm really fine with, but I need one of them before I go. Austin Price: What's the best play you've made since you've been here? Zakai Zeigler: The best play? What is the best play I've made here? The best play that I've made since I've been here. I'm not sure. That's a great question. I know my favorite play. Go ahead. Can I say that? Yeah. We was playing my freshman year. We was playing against Texas a and m. I remember I got the ball somehow, some way I got the ball and it was kind of like a fast break. I took a dribble and then the guy reached, I did a between the legs or a crossover or something. And then I didn't see the guy, but I just did it. It was out of instincts. Boom. And I went by him and I started hearing the crowd go like oh. Oh. So I started to see myself a bunch of space. So I pulled up for three and I hit it and then the guy, but I didn't really look at the guy because obviously I'm looking, I'm not turning around and looking around and stuff. The guy I seen the video, he was just tumbling. He fell and it made sports in the top 10, but that's for sure. My favorite play. West Texas a and m. My freshman year, Tobe Awaka: It was probably when we played Auburn at home. I think Jaylen Williams the Forward had a easy lane for a dunk and I blocked it, but I wasn't thinking that I rotated fast enough in time. So I guess just me jumping up, making the play surprised myself a little Austin Price: Bit. Is it hard to believe that really next year it's going to be your senior year? Zakai Zeigler: Yes. Austin Price: I mean, because you think about Josiah and Santi and they got here a long time before you did. It feels like. But because you don't have that covid year. Zakai Zeigler: Yeah, my class, the last class without a covid year. But it just feel crazy. It doesn't feel like I've been here multiple years. It just feels like one big year and it don't feel like I should leave. Austin Price: How do you think those guys feel? They've been here, Zakai Zeigler: Man. What? They been here six, seven years? Something Austin Price: Like that. Not quite that long, but sure. Zakai Zeigler: Something like that. Tobe Awaka: Acting like Joe's like 35 right now. Right? Zakai Zeigler: I thought he was 36. Tobe Awaka: Yeah, I know. I know. Santi ISS pushing 40 right now. Yeah. Yo, Austin Price: They're actually nice to you guys and y'all are just, Zakai Zeigler: You don't see Josiah. Boy, Tobe Awaka: I wish he was here. Zakai Zeigler: It would be straight jokes Tobe Awaka: Jo. Zakai Zeigler: Straight jokes. Josiah is probably the jokester on the team. The biggest jokester, am I? Tobe Awaka: No, you're not wrong. I think he should go into acting when he is done. Yeah. Zakai Zeigler: If he doesn't want to play basketball, he can be a great Austin Price: Actor. After that first episode of All Club Confidential. I told him on the street like that next week. I said, whenever basketball's done, you need to be an analyst. You speak incredibly well. You got personality, you smile, you're engaging. Zakai Zeigler: No, he would be a great actor after being with him for this amount of time. Tobe Awaka: It's so hard to describe it. It's one of those things where you have to be there to really understand it because it is just, Austin Price: You're supposed to be the jokester, Fozzie Bear. Waka Waka. Tobe Awaka: Oh man. Austin Price: I need an update. Next time I see you, I need an update on you. I need you to do a little research on the Muppets. Tobe Awaka: Got. Got you. I haven't really watched The Muppets. Zakai Zeigler: It was crazy Austin Price: Because the mts. Yeah, neither of shows. 1987, Zakai Zeigler: But they got a lot of shows in New York. Really? Broadway shows and stuff. They got a lot of those in Austin Price: New York. What's your favorite Broadway show? This is how we're ending. Favorite Broadway show. Have you ever been to one? Never. Where'd you go? Zakai Zeigler: No, I don't think so. Austin Price: We can't get you to go to Lion King. Zakai Zeigler: I would probably go to Lion King. Yeah. No, I would go to Lion King. Wicked. No, not Wicked. Austin Price: So Lion King. Yeah, Zakai Zeigler: Lion King. That would be the one I would go to. Probably just off of knowing the story and stuff already. The movie. Austin Price: Yeah. Tobe Awaka: I had a chance, but I had a game that day. He was to see Wicked, so I couldn't go. And then after that just got busy and stuff like that. So yeah, if I had a chance I would go. Why not? It's definitely a memorable place. Famous place. Austin Price: Yeah. And not too far off Your favorite Times Square, Tobe Awaka: Right, right, right. For sure. Austin Price: Well guys, we appreciated being. You guys have been fantastic and love hearing a little bit about your lives and how you grew up in New York and I know Tennessee fans are enjoying every moment they have you guys in Orange. Zakai Zeigler: Appreciate you guys. Appreciate you guys. Tobe Awaka: Thank you for having Zakai Zeigler: Us. Thank you.