A Look into Zion Williamson’s Sensational Season

If you’ve checked social media recently, it’s likely that you’ve seen one of the many
incredible dunks by the Duke University star freshman, Zion Williamson. Known for his
dominant playing style, the eighteen-year old freshman has garnered the attention of the nation
as well as being considered a top prospect for the 2019 NBA draft. Born in Salisbury, North
Carolina, Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School, where he was named an All-American
and led his team to three state championships. Williamson was rated as a five star recruit out of high school and ranked among the top three players in the 2018 class.
Listed at 6 feet and 7 inches and 285 pounds, Williamson looks nothing like a college
freshman. In fact, his massive frame not only surpasses almost all college basketball players, but Williamson currently is heavier than all but one active NBA player. However, Williamson’s
agility is hardly limited by his size. His 45-inch vertical leap is the highest since Duke started measuring its players, providing the foundation for his explosive moves to the basket.
While Zion Williamson was still in high school, videos of his mesmerizing dunks spread
like wildfire around social media and YouTube. Therefore, it is little wonder that Williamson has amassed 2.2 million Instagram followers, or that he is consistently featured on television
highlight reels and internet video compilations around the country.
“Whenever Zion makes an incredible dunk, it’s all over social media. There’s so much
hype around him that when he lives up to it, the media goes crazy. Zion is a unique player and
it’s really fun to watch him play. He’s very talented and his dunks are sensational,” said junior J.D. Blitch.
Williamson certainly lives up to the hype, as his extraordinary stat line this season
already has college basketball experts comparing him to Hall of Fame players. Currently averaging 21.5 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game, Williamson is nothing short of a
phenom. In the Blue Devils’ season opener against Kentucky, Williamson displayed his
incredibly varied skill set over a 30-second span in which he made a 3-pointer, darted to the
basket for a thunderous dunk, blocked a shot and then, on the run, threaded a bounce pass
through traffic to his teammate R.J. Barrett.
Whether Williamson decides to continue his career at Duke or declare for the NBA draft,
his impact on college basketball is anything but meager. His success on such a large scale has
proved to the nation that there is no single cutout for a star player.
“Williamson’s impact on college basketball is enormous, as he influences and affects
players and teams across the nation. They have to completely change their game plans in order to
account for all the things he can do on the court at his size. He also influences kids who want to play basketball, as he demonstrates that there are so many amazing things you can do on and off the court,”  said sophomore and Duke fan Andrew Mao.
The Duke Blue Devils currently are ranked second in the AP poll, standing at a record of
15-2. The team has consistently ranked among the top teams in college basketball, winning two
national championships in the last nine years under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Historically,
Krzyzewski has managed to attract the top recruits out of high school to Duke’s dominant
basketball program. Moreover, in 2018, for the first time in college basketball history, a single team signed the top three recruits in the same class: Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish.
As a result of Duke’s impressive freshman class, many experts and analysts project the trio of
freshmen to lead them to the 2019 national championship before they declare for the NBA draft.
If Williamson continues on his current trajectory, he has the potential to excel even
further in the NBA. His sheer ability and all-around talent is rarely seen in someone of his
stature.“I would describe Zion as one of the best overall players in college basketball history.
He’s an incredible athlete, as many people have said that he is the best athlete since LeBron. He has immensely increased the number of fans of the sport because of his large social media
following. Williamson has changed the game because it’s rare to see someone of his size with so
much talent and skill, especially since he is a freshman,” said sophomore Duke Glenn
Williamson’s unprecedented combination of strength and skill not only draws attention
from basketball fans, but from non-sports fans alike.
“He makes basketball fun to watch even for a person who usually doesn’t watch or enjoy
basketball. I rarely watch sports, much less basketball, however, I recently watched a game on
television that featured Williamson.“His explosive and agile movements around the court
invoked a sense of awe within me. After seeing Williamson play, I was inspired to watch and
follow more of college basketball,” said sophomore Rachel Liu
With less than two months remaining in the regular season, Williamson and the rest of
the Blue Devils will likely secure a number one seed in the tournament. Given their outstanding
talent and unparalleled supremacy on the court, the Duke team is poised to make a deep
postseason run. As for Williamson, who is having one of the best individual college basketball
seasons in decades, is expected to continue his dominance through the rest of his college career
and into the NBA.