Zion Williamson – Duke, PF
The Duke Blue Devils enter the 2019 NCAA Tournament as the top team in the nation, looking to add a sixth national championship to their impressive history. The road to Minnesota will not be easy however, with the East region boasting top schools such as Michigan State and Virginia Tech.
Duke will need every one of their fantastic freshman to step up in order to cut down down the nets at the end of the tournament. All eyes will be on the leader of that freshman group, Zion Williamson.
And for as unlikely as it might be for the Wolves to end up with the top pick in the draft, it would be foolish to ignore just how franchise-altering a miracle lottery win would be for Minnesota.
The legend of Zion Williamson has only grown with each minute he steps on the floor. The block of the year, the blown-out shoe, and his recent 13-for-13 shooting night are just a few highlights from the impressive season he has had to date. The projected top pick of the 2019 NBA Draft is averaging 22.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting almost 70 percent from the floor.
At 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds, Zion is a physical specimen unlike anything the NBA has ever seen. He can stretch the floor from three, play physical in the post, and dominate on the defensive end. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been searching for a true superstar to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Williamson would be capable of both spacing the floor for Towns or controlling the post while Towns pops out to the 3-point line. On defense, Williamson has already proven to be an athletic rim defender who would likely mask some of Town’s deficiencies on that side of the ball. The Timberwolves will spend the coming months dreaming of Williamson and Towns frontcourt that terrorizes the league for years to come.
Other players to watch for on Duke: RJ Barrett, Cameron Reddish
Opening game: vs. NC Central/North Dakota St. on Friday at 6:10 pm CT