Athens, Ga. — Rick Barnes realized that Zakai Ziegler wasn't himself for the first time in his Tennessee basketball career Tuesday night in Georgia.
That's understandable. Ziegler's mother, Charmaine Ziegler, lost everything Saturday night when a fire broke out at the family home in an apartment building in New York City, Queens.
"It's been a very emotional day. He saw his mother here for the first time since the fire. It's been a tough day for him," the Tennessee coach said after the 75-68 win.
Ziegler has spent the past few days dealing with the aftermath of the fire and feelings of loss. His family members survived safely. He lost all of his possessions, including important items to the care of Ziegler's 4-year-old nephew, Nori, who has special needs.
Tennessee on Wednesday announced a GoFundMe to support the Zeiglers.
Here's where to donate, #VolNation.
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 2, 2022
Thank you for your support and care for the Zeigler Family!https://t.co/JfoSUQ21lg
"The flood of support has been incredible! We'll get through this. All the love, #VolNation!!" Ziegler wrote on Twitter.
GoFundMe, which was organized through Tennessee and its compliance office, set a $50,000 goal to support Zeiglers and is specifically intended for relief and recovery. The amount is an estimate of the loss. The page indicated that the money would go directly to immediate needs such as housing, clothing and airfare.
The target was achieved in less than 40 minutes. On Wednesday night it eclipsed the $300,000 mark with more than 4,000 donations. UT Chancellor Donde Ploughman; athletics director Danny White and his wife Sean; and UT donor Larry Pratt were among those who donated.
"Our administration did a great job," Barnes said. "Once they got the news they jumped on it and followed it."
Zeigler wrote on GoFundMe that "contribution over and above our eventual loss/expenses will be donated to charity."
Charmane Zeigler was at Tuesday's game. She will be moving back to Knoxville and looking to move to Tennessee in the coming days. She is raising Nori, whose equipment such as her wheelchair and splint were lost in the fire.
The fire started on the second floor of the three-storey building.
Ziegler got the news after Tennessee's 67–62 win against Auburn at the Thompson-Bowling Arena. Barnes said Ziegler was up until the early hours of Sunday morning.
"He lost it all," Barnes said. "I asked him and he said, 'I have what I have, Coach.' He was obviously really worried about his mother and extended family because it happened all of a sudden. He's gone through a lot.
"He never shows his emotion. Today, he did."
The Zeigler family moved into the apartment in the Far Rockaway area in November 2020. The family lost their home 10 months ago when Charmane Zeigler lost her job, car and house. The Zeiglers moved in with Zeigler's grandfather.
Ziegler lived in a handful of locations during that period, including with her high school coach in New Jersey and her brother and her brother's stepfather and mother for about three months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ziegler describes moving into the apartment and not sharing the bedrooms as "our paradise."
"No one deserves to go through this," said Walls guard Josiah-Jordan James. "It's really, really sad. We just try to be there for him as our brothers."
Ziegler's roommate, James, has lent Ziegler a helping hand over the past few days. He said that his goal is to distract him and find little ways to brighten his day.
But James knows Ziegler has feelings on his mind. He went through a similar experience in January 2021 when his family home in Charleston, South Carolina caught fire. James lost everything in his room in the house.
"There's really nothing you can say or do to make the pain go away," James said. "Those are the memories he created in that environment and in that place. It's just gone."
Ziegler played 19 minutes on Tuesday, the second he has played in less than 20 minutes since February 1. He had two points and three assists during a difficult outing.
Barnes said Ziegler was "very emotional" at halftime, which he attributed to Ziegler's competitive nature and his displeasure with how the game was going for him. The feelings of the last few days were quite heavy.
"He knows that everyone in his locker room, players and coaches, is here for him," James said.