5 reasons why Zion Williamson s return for Duke Syracuse was electrifying
5 reasons why Zion Williamson's return for Duke-Syracuse was electrifying NCAA.com
Right?
Both?
Doesn't matter to Zion. — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
( ) — ESPN (@espn) As far as all-around performances go, it is almost impossible to do better than this. Williamson contributed everywhere.
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY Zion Williamson made his much-anticipated return to the court for Duke late Thursday night against Syracuse in the ACC tournament, and folks, he did not disappoint. In five games without their star, the Blue Devils lost twice — to Virginia Tech and North Carolina — and looked noticeably different on the court. The team announced on Thursday morning that Williamson would be back for Duke's quarterfinal against the Orange. FILM STUDY: He didn't waste any time reacquainting himself with the college basketball world as he led Duke to an 84-72 win over a Syracuse team that was one of only two to beat the Blue Devils at home this season. Williamson rocketed Duke to an early lead, and finished with 29 points as the Blue Devils advanced to the semifinals against North Carolina. Williamson told ESPN's Allison Williams after the game that he could have returned before Thursday night, but Duke wanted to make sure he was 100 percent. "I have a lot of energy," Williamson said, "but I come ready to kill every game. It was just great to be back on the court."1 Zion announced his return in a familiar way
Williamson scored Duke's first bucket of the game on a layup. His second came on a slam that we've seen before. After pickpocketing Syracuse's Frank Howard, Williamson scooped up the ball and familiarized himself with the rim. ZION. BACK! — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) The scoop-and-score is one of the lasting highlights we'll have from Williams at Duke. He's been doing it all season.2 SO MANY DUNKS
Williamson threw down four dunks IN THE FIRST HALF. That's outrageous. Including this alley-oop: RJ lobs to Zion are BACK! — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) Just look at the air on this one: Air Zion — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) Which hand? Doesn't matter. Left?Right?
Both?
Doesn't matter to Zion. — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
3 He literally couldn t miss
Williamson piled up 21 points on 9-for-9 shooting in the first half alone. His scoring output slowed in the second half as Syracuse focused its defense on him, but Williamson didn't miss in the second half either! He finished 13 for 13. Zion Williamson has made his first 13 shots tonight, tying Brad Daugherty of North Carolina on Nov. 24, 1985 against UCLA for the most consecutive makes in a single game by an ACC player. — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) After Syracuse scored in the first minute, Williamson outscored the Orange by himself for almost 18 minutes. Can't do much better than that. That start gave him some incredible company. Zion Williamson is the first player with 20 points and 5 steals in an ACC Tournament game since Tyler Hansbrough in 2009. — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo)4 Zion did everything else too
He filled the stat sheet with 14 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, and had five steals. Williamson's defense might be even better than his offense, and it was on display here. That alley-oop from above? Look how it started: Teamwork at its finest( ) — ESPN (@espn) As far as all-around performances go, it is almost impossible to do better than this. Williamson contributed everywhere.