WASHINGTON — The individual accolades of course matter. His lottery ticket-of-a-future has at least been enhanced by coming to Duke. So, obviously, has his celebrity.
But when Zion Williamson chose the Blue Devils over in-state schools South Carolina and Clemson, this was what he had in mind. A chance at April. An opportunity to cut the nets down in Minneapolis. A national championship to call his own. He wasn’t thinking about what it might do for his brand.
“I didn’t picture how things would happen for me,” college basketball’s premier attraction and the almost-certain No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft said Thursday, when asked to describe this season and whether it has surpassed his expectations. “I kind of pictured how things would happen for the team, because that’s why I feel like players come to Duke. They have a winning history. You want to be part of a great season.”
Calling Williamson’s freshman season at Duke “great” would be an understatement, like calling the 6-foot-7, 285-pound specimen a nice NBA prospect. Averaging 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, he’s taken the sport by storm with his thunderous dunks, a likable demeanor and two-way domination. He likely will be National Player of the Year. When he was out with a sprained right knee, Duke (31-5) didn’t look like a Sweet 16 team, let alone a group capable of reaching the Final Four, losing three of seven. With him, coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team remains the prohibitive favorite, even with its narrow victory over ninth-seeded Central Florida in the second round.
“He does some amazing stuff,” fellow prized freshman RJ Barrett said as No. 1 Duke prepared to face ACC rival Virginia Tech, the fourth seed, in an East Regional semifinal Friday night. “In the UCF game, I think somebody was guarding me, I couldn’t see. I just threw the ball up anywhere and he just jumped up and got it. He does so many things on the court that people don’t really appreciate enough.”
Most impressive of all is how he has handled the media crush with such grace.
Krzyzewski shook his head in awe when asked about the pressure Williamson faces, and how he navigates it. Williamson credited Krzyzewski for how he has dealt with it. He was asked if he feels the need to have monster games in the tournament, and Williamson said anyone on Duke is capable of leading the Blue Devils. He singled out the walk-ons for their leadership, and described their first tournament opponent, No. 16 North Dakota State, as a “great team.” In Duke’s summer exhibition tour in Toronto, Williamson threw down a dunk from the free-throw line that became an instant social-media hit. But he didn’t like that it took attention away from Barrett’s similar slam. When discussing his decision to return from injury rather than prepare for the draft, Williamson believed he made a commitment to Duke by accepting a scholarship, and owed it to the school and his teammates to return.
“This kid is just one of a kind,” Krzyzewski said of Williamson, who is coming off a 32-point, 11-rebound, four-assist performance. “He’s certainly a special basketball player. But as a youngster, he has a maturity — it’s uncommon. It really is uncommon.”
In Thursday’s press conference, Williamson and Barrett took turns laughing at one another as they answered questions. They described each other as “brothers,” able to lean on one another in tough times. For Barrett, who was the hot name in this class before Williamson soared past him, ceding the spotlight doesn’t seem to bother him.
“It’s just great to have somebody you can relate to off the court,” he said. “And I watch everything that he goes through and what goes on with him. And definitely kind of he’s helped me a lot.”
“I love him,” Williamson interjected, to laughter.
He seems to love everything about college, and particularly Duke. On Thursday Williamson repeated several March Madness clichés — rankings don’t matter, the hungrier team will win — yet coming from him and that big smile of his, it felt genuine.
“I think the season,” Williamson said, “has exceeded my expectations with how well it’s gone.”
