COLOMBIA, S.C. — Everything was set for Zion Williamson’s starring turn on the biggest stage in college basketball.
The Duke megastar made his NCAA Tournament debut some 90 miles away from his high school, in front of what was essentially a hometown crowd, with a CBS camera dedicated to his every move.
Too much hype for a freshman? Not this one.
Williamson, as expected, had a spectacular showing and proved once again he’s the most prolific player in the game right now.
He scored 25 points in an explosive performance to lead top-seeded Duke to an 85-62 win over North Dakota State in Friday night’s first round game.
“Wow,” the 18-year old said he thought to himself in his hotel room a day before the debut, “I’m really here.”
His debut will go down as one of the strongest in recent memory, and his second-half show was a dazzling display of the talents that have him projected as the top player in the NBA draft.
RJ Barrett led Duke with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and combined with Williamson they made for an unstoppable 1-2 freshman punch. Barrett and Williamson gave Duke two players with 20 or more points in their NCAA Tournament debut for the first time since Mark Alarie and Johnny Dawkins did it in 1984.
But this was Williamson’s show and he could not be contained in the second half as Duke turned a tight early contest into a runaway in the first round of the East Region.
Williamson was disappointed in the Blue Devil’s sluggish first half as Duke led just 31-27 at the break. Teammates were in his ear, he said, telling the star to “be me.”
When that happens, there’s no one else in college basketball like Williamson.
He opened the half by driving on two defenders for a layup that drew a foul. He missed the free throw but Williamson answered with a monster slam.
The highlight, though, came moments later on Williamson’s breathtaking dribble-behind-his-back-after-chasing-down-his-own-steal layup.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pound freshman outran 5-foot-11 190-pound Vinnie Shahid of North Dakota State for the ball after he tipped it for a steal. Williamson then dribbled behind his back, briefly losing and regaining his balance with a hand on the floor. That cleared room for Williamson to get to the lane and go up and under for a layup.
Just like that, the Blue Devils were up 40-27 and cruising. The Bison (19-16) never recovered.
