32 Todd Ziegler

Todd Ziegler was born Todd Eugene Ziegler on October 16, 1965, to Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Ziegler. His family moved from Indiana to Kentucky, where he became an All-State forward at Jeffersontown High School in Louisville. A left-handed shooter, he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds as a junior and earned All-District and All-Region recognition. Knee problems and a midseason coaching change complicated his senior year, but he still averaged 13.4 points and approximately 10 rebounds. He signed with Kentucky on November 9, 1983, fulfilling an ambition he had held since his family moved to the state. Joe B. Hall welcomed his shooting touch, comparing the value of adding a left-handed forward to what Kentucky had enjoyed with Mike Phillips’ contemporaries, Kevin Grevey’s successor Jack Givens and earlier standout Charles “Cotton” Nash’s teammate Mike Casey.

Before arriving in Lexington, Ziegler played in the Thoroughbred Classic, Derby Classic, and Kentucky–Indiana All-Star series. He later identified winning the Kentucky–Indiana series as his most memorable sports experience. His interests extended beyond basketball: he also participated in baseball and track and belonged to the German Club, Beta Club, and National Honor Society in high school.

Ziegler’s freshman season, 1984–85, was Hall’s final year as Kentucky’s head coach. A nagging knee injury slowed his development, and the young forward found few opportunities behind an experienced frontcourt that included Kenny Walker, Winston Bennett, and Bret Bearup. He appeared in 10 games and scored his first Kentucky basket against Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena on January 7, 1985. The Wildcats endured an uneven regular season but rallied in March, upsetting Washington and UNLV as a No. 12 seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen and finish 18–13.

As a sophomore in 1985–86, Ziegler played under Eddie Sutton during a successful transition for the program. Wearing No. 32, he appeared in 17 games, scored 34 points, and made 58.3 percent of his field-goal attempts. Walker and Bennett continued to anchor the frontcourt, leaving Ziegler in a reserve role, but he was part of a Kentucky team that finished 32–4, captured both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and advanced to the Elite Eight.

His most productive Kentucky scoring performance came before hometown fans at Louisville’s Freedom Hall on December 30, 1985. Ziegler scored eight points on four baskets in Kentucky’s 93–55 victory over VMI. Earlier that month, he contributed six points apiece in wins over Cincinnati and Pepperdine. Those appearances offered glimpses of the shooting ability Hall had valued when recruiting him from Jeffersontown.

Ziegler remained with Kentucky into his junior academic year, but his time with the program ended without another regular-season appearance. A shoplifting incident led to his suspension in the fall of 1986. After he completed a court-ordered diversion program, the charge was dismissed, and Sutton reinstated him on December 23. Illness delayed his return to practice, and in January 1987 he transferred to Western Kentucky. He continued his college basketball career with the Hilltoppers during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons.

A business administration major at Kentucky, Ziegler had expressed an interest in becoming a businessman after basketball. He began his banking career at National City Bank in 1989 and later held leadership positions with Republic Bank, including central Kentucky market president and market executive. His community involvement included Commerce Lexington, the Kentucky Chamber, Community Ventures Corporation, and the Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County. In July 2026, he was appointed to a four-year term on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board, continuing his involvement in central Kentucky civic life decades after his years in a Wildcat uniform.