The Duke Blue Devils will go as far as Zion Williamson will carry them.
With the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft in the lineup, the Blue Devils have lost just twice all season. That was impressive enough for the NCAA selection committee made the Blue Devils the overall top seed for March Madness, beating out Virginia, Gonzaga, and North Carolina.
“I think there’s a verve when he’s in there,” said Duke associate head coach John Scheyer. “I think it’s both ends. He’s a guy who eliminates easy baskets and he can get you some easy baskets.”
If one of the 67 other teams that qualified for the tournament is going to take the title, they will need to figure out how to stop the 6-foot-7, 285-pound freshman.
That will be difficult as Duke has other weapons on their roster including potential lottery pick Cam Reddish and stalwart defender Tre Jones.
History is also in Duke’s favor as the Final Four will be played in Minneapolis, the same city which hosted the event in 1992 and 2001.
Duke won in 1992. Duke won in 2001. And they may win again in 2019.
If they do, Mike Krzyzewski will get his sixth national championship and Williamson will have made his mark on the NCAA in one season of play.
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