Zeigler Puts Adversity Behind Him

Demetrius Zeigler called the 1992-93 high school basketball season “the toughest year of my life.”

For starters, there were the 5 a.m. wake-up calls to attend practice at other gyms, because University High did not have its new gym built.

And though that affected his academics and his team’s performance on the court, it was not nearly as rough as the adjustment he had to make off the court.

Zeigler, a self-confessed “mama’s boy,” moved in with a guardian after his mother took a teaching job in Bend, Ore.

“It may have been a combination of me being away from my family for the first time and being on my own, but that was the toughest year of my life,” he said. “When it was time to go to school, I was ready to get some breakfast and go back to bed. And my grades reflected it.”

At game time, however, everything seemed to fall into place. He led the county with a 27.3 scoring average and was second in three-pointers with 89. He said he appreciates the solace basketball provides.

“It’s a creative outlet,” he said. “Not just the games, but the game itself. It’s always been an outlet where I can go to try and look for answers, not so much spiritual answers but say, if I had a (family) problem, or maybe if things weren’t going well at school, I could go out and shoot for a while, come to terms with things, and it gives me peace of mind.

“A lot of peers get it from alcohol, drugs, girlfriends or boyfriends. I guess I traditionally get it from basketball.”

Independence is not a new concept for Zeigler. He grew up without a father in the house--his parents were divorced when he was 5, and he hasn’t seen his father since. But Zeigler said that helped him develop a sense of responsibility that has proved invaluable in basketball and in school, where he has a 3.5 grade-point average and scored 1,170 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

“It really taught me a lot about myself,” he said. “You just really appreciate your mother and develop a really close relationship with her. I never really longed for a father, or felt any different from all the other kids.”

His academic and athletic prowess have made Zeigler an attractive prospect for Ivy League schools, and Cornell and Columbia already have shown significant interest.

But first, there’s the matter of turning University’s team around. The Trojans went 6-18 last season, but with a new gym and some experienced players, they should be improved in 1993-94.

“We’re all good friends, and we’re all just realizing what it’s going to take to be a championship-caliber team,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve been on the same page at times in terms of goals. I want to win some playoff games, or at least get to the playoffs. We need that for our program, for the school, and for the guys.”

The goals are definitely within Zeigler’s reach, now that his toughest year is behind him.