Duke’s Zion Williamson is the must-see player of the NCAA Tournament
The Blue Devils' 6-foot-7, 285-pound freshman has been the dominant player in college basketball this season and a likely No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick. "He's not Superman, but he's damn close," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, whose team has to find a way to stop Williamson on Sunday.
WASHINGTON – Zion Williamson is playing basketball for Duke, which means you’ll likely witness a series of indelible highlights by the time the game ends.
Take Friday night, for example, when the Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech in the NCAA East Regional semifinal at Capital One Arena.
Pick a highlight, any highlight, like these three from the second half:
Tre Jones steals the ball, heads upcourt, sees Williamson racing up the right wing and throws up an alley-oop pass that looks to be heading for the fourth row of the upper deck. Williamson catches it more than two feet above the rim and slams it home.
Williamson slips while retreating on defense, chases Hokies guard Justin Robinson at full speed into the paint and swats away his layup attempt.
When Jones passes to him in the low post, Williamson spins as soon as the ball touches his fingers and explodes to the rim for another vicious jam.
It’s a must-see show, something that Williamson has done all season except for the five games he sat out with a sprained right knee after the Sneaker Blowout Heard ‘Round the World when Duke played North Carolina on Feb. 20.
He is 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds, 20 pounds more than Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, but his speed, quickness, and leaping ability belie his size. What’s also mesmerizing is his enthusiasm on the court, the emotion he competes with, and the fact that at times he looks as if he wants to guard all five positions in a single possession.
All this will be on display Sunday when the No. 1 overall seed Blue Devils take on second seed Michigan State for a trip to the Final Four. Spartans coach Tom Izzo gets the chance to figure out how to keep Williamson from wreaking havoc.
“I’m a big football fan,” Izzo said Saturday. “Khalil Mack is a guy I look at and say, ‘Geez, if I could borrow somebody from the Bears, maybe we can cover him.’ He’s got the most incredible first step. He can take one dribble and cover more space than most human beings that I know can do. Then he has the strength to finish at the end.
“So he’s not Superman, but he’s damn close.”
In six postseason games (three ACC tournament, three NCAA), Williamson is averaging 26.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and shooting 70.1 percent from the floor. It’s no wonder he is the leading player-of-the-year candidate, but he’s more to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“Having the opportunity not just to coach him but to get to know him, he is such a genuine young man and well advanced maturity-wise,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s extremely intelligent book-wise and people-wise. And he’s humble. He’s really got everything. This is not a phony guy. And he’s more than a dunker. He’s a lot more than a dunker. He’s a very, very special human being and player.”
Williamson was brought along in basketball in his hometown of Spartanburg, S.C., by his mother, Sharonda Sampson, who ran track in college. He called her “the hardest basketball coach I’ve ever played for, even to this day.
“Even when I thought I would have a great game, she probably had a full list of things I did wrong or could have done better,” he said Saturday. “When I was younger, it did bother me. I remember I used to ask, ‘Is there not a good game in your book? Can I not have a great game?’ She’d always look at me and say, ‘You’ll thank me later.’ I’d be like, ‘All right, sure.’
“I do thank her for that as much as I can because that helped with my ability to get coached. So any other coaches I had after her that would yell at me, go on a rant, or coach me, I was never fazed by it. I was just always ready to learn.”
His mother urged him to watch videos of Michael Jordan, whose career ended before his third birthday. Williamson said Jordan’s “will to win is what motivated me the most to try to take after his game, because I think when you have the will to win, it pushes you past your limits.”
It was also his mother who calmed him down after he suffered his knee injury 45 seconds into the North Carolina game, encouraging him to stay patient and make sure he returns to competition only when he is completely healthy.
Of course, after suffering the injury, thousands of unsolicited recommendations were directed at him on Twitter suggesting that he sit out the rest of the season and remain healthy for the NBA draft. Williamson dismissed the advice.
“For starters, I love basketball,” he said. “I’m not just going to sit out and watch my brothers play. The other thing is I made a commitment when I decided to come to Duke. So I felt like I wouldn’t have been honoring that commitment if I would have just been selfish and say I’m done for the season. I feel like I owe it to them.”
As he gets closer to the end, Williamson seeks to make more memorable moments and attain his ultimate goal.
“I’m just enjoying my college experience with my brothers and with Coach K and the coaches,” he said. “I’m just trying to make the most of this opportunity and hopefully win a national championship.”