Subscribe
Follow Us
Duke phenom Zion Williamson is not expected to play on Saturday against Syracuse, but he could be back as soon as next week, according to Jeff Goodman of Watch Stadium.
Williamson suffered a Grade 1 right knee strain on Wednesday against North Carolina just 33 seconds into the game.
Duke’s Zion Williamson is not expected to play tomorrow against Syracuse, source told @Stadium. Source said he is up and moving around and sounded optimistic he’ll be back in the next week.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 22, 2019
In 26 games this season for the Duke Blue Devils, Zion Williamson is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. The high-flyer, who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is shooting 68.3 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from beyond the arc and 66.9 percent from the free-throw line.
There are some who believe Williamson should shut it down and not play for the rest of the season. That doesn't appear it's going to happen, though, since it was just a knee sprain and Zion is already walking around on his own power.
The topic of if high school players should be allowed to bypass college and head directly to the NBA is back in full swing again after Williamson's injury scare. Since the NCAA doesn't pay its athletes, star guys like Zion are risking millions of dollars by playing for free in college. If a player suffers a serious injury, his draft stock could take a hit and he could miss out on a bigger payday in the NBA.
