Zion Williamson is an integral part of the Duke Blue Devils although the team needs to find a way to stay afloat with the 18-year-old forced to the sidelines due to a sprained right knee. They played the 19th ranked Virginia Teach without him and lost 77-72.
Looking at the way the Hokies played, even having a healthy Williamson may have not made a difference, USA Today said. The night belonged to Ty Outlaw and Wabissa Bede who made the big plays to thwart the no. 2 Blue Devils.
“I just drove and he was open,” a grinning Bede said. “Everybody knows Ty’s going to knock that down. He’s clutch. Once he let go of it I knew it was going to go in.”
It was the third straight game that Williamson missed since that freak injury he suffered against North Carolina. With less than a minute into the game, Williamson's Nike PG 2.5 PE exploded and the promising cager ended up grimacing in pain, grabbing his knees, USA Today said in another report.
Williamson's absence has been obviously a big void with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski revealing that the state of the 18-year-old phenom is on a day-to-day basis. There have been rumors swirling that Williamson could be shut down for the season. Negating that belief is the fact that Williamson is itching to return. But at the end of the day, it is all about his true state of health.
“There’s just a protocol that we have to go through to make sure he’s completely ready [to play],” said coach Krzyzewski. “We’re not rushing anything, so that’s why we said day-to-day because it’s literally day-to-day.”
If that holds true, then it should be well and good for Duke. But Williamson may also need to factor in his basketball future. He is touted to be the top pick for the coming NBA Draft, projected to be picked up by the Phoenix Suns where he could team up with DeAndre Ayton.
As one can see, it is not purely about raising the chances of the Duke Blue Devils. It will also be about how far Williamson can go. It is a decision that both parties would hate to decide on but a reality with the NCAA men's basketball tournament ongoing.
The Duke Blue Devils will face the Miami Hurricanes next at home. As of this writing, there is no certainty on whether the 6-foot-7 cager will be suiting up.
