Just the two team names alone are usually enough to earn national attention when the middle of February rolls around and Duke and UNC get set to meet for the first time during the college basketball season.
This year, though, the hype has reached a whole new level largely due to the exploits of Duke’s star freshman Zion Williamson–a player who has captivated audiences everywhere while playing for the top-ranked team in the nation.
Williamson arrived on campus in Durham already having over a million followers on social media, and clips of his incredible dunks and blocks in high school had the country salivating to see what he could do at the collegiate level.
Now through 25 games, the South Carolina native has yet to disappoint. Duke is 23-2 so far this season with Williamson leading the way, posting averages of 22.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game on 68 percent shooting from the floor–numbers that would be insane for any player to have in college, let alone a freshman.
Duke freshman Zion Williamson has taken the college basketball world by storm this season with his freakish displays of athleticism. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
The media circus surrounding Williamson has also nearly done the impossible, turning the rest of Duke’s star newcomers into afterthoughts at times.
R.J. Barrett is the Blue Devils’ leading scorer at 22.7 points per game, Cam Reddish is their top three-point threat and point guard Tre Jones could potentially break the record for best assist to turnover ratio ever recorded. All three of these guys are likely to be selected extremely high in this year’s NBA Draft.
Still, though, it seems all anyone–including the author of this article–can talk about is Williamson, the man expected to be drafted first overall in June.
“He’s off the charts athletically, explosively, the charisma that he has, the personality he has, it’s off the charts,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said Monday, about Williamson. “R.J.’s pretty good. Cam Reddish is pretty good. Tre Jones, Mike [Krzyzewski] calls him the most valuable player that he has.
“It’s a unique team,” he continued. “But I think it starts with the big guy.”
Whether it be his ferocious slams on the fastbreak, high-flying blocks that suck the soul out of his opponents or finding a way to lead a 23-point second half comeback while playing with four fouls, Williamson has already left a major imprint on college basketball in just a few short months.
Many coaches pride themselves on finding creative solutions to the problems produced by opposing stars, but to this point nobody has found anything that works on Williamson.
“Everybody’s tried to keep him from getting the ball, and last I’ve looked he’s still shooting 180 percent from the floor,” Williams told reporters. “We’re gonna try to do some of the same things a lot of those other guys have done, but if you don’t let them pass it to him he just goes and gets it off the board.”
At 6-foot-7 and 284 pounds of pure muscle, Williamson is an imposing physical force who also happens to possess Duke’s all-time record with a 40-inch vertical leap. He also possesses a rare combination of highlight-reel talent and ruthless efficiency that lead him to be compared to some of basketball’s all-time greats like LeBron James and Charles Barkley.
“Zion’s a different bird, there’s no question about that,” Williams said. “We tried to recruit him very, very hard. He’s got a combination of skills, a skill-set that I’ve never seen before. And there’s been a lot of attention, but he deserves it. He’s backed it up.”
Respect.
UNC's Roy Williams hasn't seen anything like Zion Williamson. pic.twitter.com/dhtSD7vDX6
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 19, 2019
Make no mistake, UNC has a solid team of its own this season and can definitely earn a victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night. The Tar Heels boast an experienced group of seniors in Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cameron Johnson, while also having a pair of potential one-and-done freshmen in point guard Coby White and wing Nassir Little.
During any other year, the talk would likely focus on how UNC matches up with Duke heading into a rivalry game that always has huge implications on how the rest of the season plays out.
With Williamson around, however, the atmosphere just feels different–which should lead to an even more exciting (and nerve wracking) game once the ball tips off.
“Let’s be honest, this challenge is different from any we’ve faced all year,” Williams said. “This is the most gifted Duke team I’ve seen in the 16 years I’ve been back [at UNC]. I don’t think it’s hard to even say those kinds of things.”
Cover photo via Associated Press
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