Since injuring his knee in a freak accident where he blew out his shoe, Zion Williamson has been overwhelmed with rumors that his college basketball career is over.
Many also have said the Duke star should sit out for the rest of the season in anticipation for the NBA Draft.
But all signs point to Williamson’s eventual return to the Blue Devils.
Williamson has yet to speak on the matter, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he had not discussed the matter with his star player, but seemed optimistic that Williamson will be back when he is ready to go.
“We would never play a kid who’s not ready,” Krzyzewski said, according to ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “We would never play a youngster who didn’t want to play. It’s not about that. He wants to play. He loves being at Duke. He doesn’t like being injured. It’s an injury you can get over in a shorter period of time. There’s just a protocol that we have to go through to make sure he’s completely ready. We’re not rushing anything, so that’s why we said day-to-day because it’s literally day-to-day.”
Williamson was diagnosed with a sprained knee after the injury that set social media ablaze with backlash directed at the NCAA for profiting off unpaid, amateur student athletes. NBA stars also weighed in on the matter.
But it is unsurprising to hear the freshman phenom is leaning toward a return. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound projected first overall pick has been the biggest star on the best college basketball team in the country this season. Duke will be a favorite heading into the NCAA Tournament next month. Even with the bright lights of the NBA calling his name, that’s a difficult opportunity to turn down.
