This is a good article. Follow the link for more information.
Page semi-protected

Zion Williamson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson Duke (cropped).jpg
Williamson with the Duke Blue Devils in 2018
No. 1 – New Orleans Pelicans
PositionSmall forward / Power forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-07-06) July 6, 2000 (age 19)
Salisbury, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight285 lb (129 kg)
Career information
High schoolSpartanburg
(Spartanburg, South Carolina)
CollegeDuke (2018–2019)
NBA draft2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–presentNew Orleans Pelicans
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Zion Lateef Williamson (born July 6, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the small forward and power forward positions. Following a dominant freshman-year stint with the Duke Blue Devils, he was selected by the Pelicans first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School, where he was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked among the top five players in the 2018 class, he led his team to three straight state championships and earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition in his senior season. Williamson also left high school as a McDonald's All-American, runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA, and USA Today All-USA first team honoree. In high school, he drew national attention for his slam dunks.

In his freshman and only season with Duke, Williamson was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, he set the single-game school scoring record for freshmen in January 2019, claimed ACC Rookie of the Week accolades five times, earned AP Player of the Year, Sporting News College Player of the Year recognition, and won the Wayman Tisdale Award.

Early life

Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina. Before starting basketball, Williamson played soccer and the quarterback position in football;[1] when he was five years old, he set sights on becoming a college basketball star. At age nine, Williamson began waking up every morning at 5 a.m. to go train.[2] He competed in youth leagues with his mother Sharonda Sampson coaching and played for the Sumter Falcons on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, facing opponents four years older than him.[3] Williamson later began working with his stepfather, former college basketball player Lee Anderson, to improve his skills as a point guard,[2] he joined the basketball team at Johnakin Middle School in Marion, South Carolina, where he was again coached by his mother and averaged 20 points per game. In middle school, Williamson was a point guard and lost only three games in two years.[2] In 2013, he guided Johnakin to an 8–1 record and a conference title.[4]

High school career

Freshman and sophomore seasons

Williamson attended Spartanburg Day School, a small K–12 private school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he played basketball for the Griffins.[1] Between eighth and ninth grade, he grew from 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).[3] In the summer leading up to his first season, Williamson practiced in the school gym and developed the ability to dunk.[5] At the time, he competed for the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as well, where he was teammates with Ja Morant;[6] as a freshman, Williamson averaged 24.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks, earning All-State and All-Region honors.[7] He also led Spartanburg Day to a South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) state championship game appearance.[8] In March 2015, Williamson took part in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game in Sumter, South Carolina.[9] By his second year in high school, he stood 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).[8] In his sophomore season, Williamson averaged 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and 2.7 steals per game and was named SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.[10] He led the Griffins to their first SCISA Region I-2A title in program history.[1] In June 2016, Williamson participated in the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 camp and was its leading scorer.[11] In August, he won the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase dunk contest in New York City.[12]

Junior season

As a junior, Williamson averaged 36.8 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game.[13] Entering the season, he was among 50 players selected to the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award watch list.[14] Starting in the 2016–17 season, Williamson was propelled into the national spotlight for his viral highlight videos,[15] he made his season debut on November 15, 2016, recording 42 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Cardinal Newman High School.[16] In the same month, his highlights drew the praise of NBA player Stephen Curry.[17] On November 24, Williamson erupted for 50 points, including 10 dunks, along with 16 rebounds and 5 blocks versus Proviso East High School at the Tournament of Champions.[18][19] In a 73–53 victory over Gray Collegiate Academy at the Chick-fil-A Classic on December 21, he posted a tournament-record 53 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 25-of-28 from the field.[20] On December 30, Williamson recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds to win most valuable player (MVP) at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic.[21] On January 15, 2017, he received nationwide publicity after rapper Drake wore his jersey in an Instagram post.[22]

Williamson surpassed the 2,000-point barrier on January 20, when he tallied 48 points against Oakbrook Preparatory School.[23] On February 14, he led Spartanburg Day past Oakbrook Prep for their first SCISA Region I-2A title, chipping in a game-high 37 points in a 105–49 rout. Williamson broke the state record for most 30-point games in a season, with 27 by the end of the regular season,[24] he repeated as SCISA Region I-2A Player of the Year.[13] High school sports website MaxPreps named him National Junior of the Year and to the High School All-American first team, while USA Today High School Sports gave him All-USA first team recognition.[25][26][27] On April 22, 2017, Williamson recorded 26 points and 7 rebounds for his AAU team SC Supreme in a loss to highly touted recruit Romeo Langford and Twenty Two Vision at an Adidas Gauntlet tournament.[28] In June, he appeared on the cover of basketball magazine Slam.[29] Williamson, in a highly publicized AAU game on July 27, scored 28 points and led SC Supreme to a 104–92 win over 2019 class recruit LaMelo Ball and Big Ballers at the Adidas Uprising Summer Championships.[30] In August, he was named MVP of the 2017 Adidas Nations camp after averaging 22.5 points and 7.2 rebounds through 6 games.[31]

Senior season

In his senior season, Williamson averaged 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.[32] He debuted on November 15, 2017, erupting for 46 points and 15 rebounds in a 70–62 loss to Christ School.[33] In his home opener on November 21, he recorded 29 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Griffins to a 70–55 win over Hammond School.[34] In the game, Williamson bruised his left foot, which sidelined him for over a month.[35] While recovering, he commented, "It's really been a time to grow mentally."[36] Williamson made his return from the injury on January 11, 2018, scoring 31 points in a 71–62 victory over Asheville Christian Academy.[37] On January 13, in a nationally televised game at the Hoophall Classic, he scored 36 points as his team lost to Chino Hills High School.[38] Williamson tallied 30 points and 13 rebounds in his final home game on February 8, a 58–54 win over Greensboro Day School.[39] On February 17, he posted 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, while scoring his 3,000th career point, versus Spartanburg Christian Academy at the SCISA Region I-2A tournament.[40] One week later, Williamson guided Spartanburg Day to its third consecutive SCISA Region I-2A championship after recording 38 points against Trinity Collegiate School.[41]

On March 28, Williamson played in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game, where he scored 8 points in 17 minutes before leaving with a thumb injury;[42][43] the injury also forced him to miss the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit in the following month.[44] For his 2017–18 high school season, Williamson was named to the USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team,[45][46] he additionally earned South Carolina Mr. Basketball recognition and was runner-up for Mr. Basketball USA.[47][48]

Recruiting

Wofford offered Williamson his first college basketball scholarship when he was a freshman in high school.[49] In the summer of 2015, Williamson emerged with the South Carolina Hornets AAU team as one of the top players in his class.[50] By the end of his sophomore season, he received offers from 16 NCAA Division I programs, including Clemson, Florida, and South Carolina, but was not planning on making a decision until his senior year.[10] In the summer of 2016, Williamson was drawing the most attention from Clemson, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.[51] On August 30, 2016, he received a scholarship offer from Duke.[52] Williamson was also offered a football scholarship by Eric Mateos, tight ends coach for LSU, but did not show interest.[53] Entering his junior season, he was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked the number one player in the 2018 class by recruiting service 247Sports.[54] In December 2016, ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi touted Williamson as "probably the best player in terms of production" in his class.[2] By 2018, most recruiting experts predicted that he would play for Clemson.[55]

In a live ESPN telecast on January 20, 2018, Williamson committed to Duke,[56][57] he explained the decision, "Duke stood out because the brotherhood represents a family. (Mike Krzyzewski) is just the most legendary coach that ever coached college basketball. I feel like going to Duke University, I can learn a lot from him."[57] Duke, who had landed RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish in addition to Williamson, became the first team to land the top three recruits in a class since modern recruiting rankings began,[58] his stepfather Lee Anderson remarked that Clemson lost a "mile-and-a-half lead" in recruiting Williamson.[59] Despite having three of the country's top recruits on their roster, Duke was unable to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament when they lost to Michigan State by one point in the East Regional Final.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Zion Williamson
PF 		Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg Day School (SC) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 272 lb (123 kg) Jan 20, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 5  247Sports: 7  ESPN: 2
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Duke 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  • "2018 Duke Blue Devils Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.

College career

Williamson (right) celebrates with teammate RJ Barrett in 2018.

Williamson played in a preseason game for Duke on August 15, 2018, in an 86–67 win over Canadian university Ryerson, recording a double-double of 29 points and 13 rebounds and shooting 3-of-4 from three-point range,[60] he was named to the preseason watch lists for the Karl Malone Award, Naismith Trophy, and John R. Wooden Award.[61][62][63] On November 6, in his first regular season game with Duke, Williamson scored 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting in 23 minutes in a 118–84 win over Kentucky at the Champions Classic.[64] In the game, he and teammate RJ Barrett each broke the Duke freshman debut scoring record set by Marvin Bagley III.[65] In his following game, a 94–72 victory over Army, Williamson tallied 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks,[66] he became the second player in school history to record at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game.[67] Williamson was subsequently named both player and freshman of the week in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[67]

On January 5, 2019, he had another strong performance versus Clemson, with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a 360-degree dunk in 22 minutes.[68] Two days later, Williamson earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for a second time.[69] On January 8, he posted 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in an 87–65 win over Wake Forest.[70] On January 12, against Florida State, he was poked in the left eye by an opposing player towards the second half and missed the remainder of the game.[71] Williamson returned in Duke's next game, a 95–91 overtime loss to Syracuse, and erupted for 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks,[72] he eclipsed the Duke freshman record for single-game points previously held by Marvin Bagley III and J.J. Redick.[73] On January 21, Williamson collected his third ACC Freshman of the Week accolades.[74] One week later, he scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in an 81–63 victory over Notre Dame.[75] By recording nine 25-point games in the season, Williamson set a new Duke freshman record.[76] On February 2, he led all scorers with 29 points and 5 steals in a 91–61 win over St. John's.[77] After two days, Williamson was named ACC Freshman of the Week on his fourth occasion, while earning National Player of the Week distinction from the Naismith Trophy,[78] he had his third 30-point game of the season on February 16, scoring 32 points in a 94–78 victory over NC State.[79] The performance helped him claim his second ACC Player of the Week and fifth ACC Freshman of the Week accolades.[80]

Williamson out with knee injury in February 2019
Williamson sits on the bench during a game versus Virginia Tech with an injury suffered from a broken shoe. He walks on the court during a media timeout.

In a February 20 game versus North Carolina, Williamson suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain 36 seconds into the contest after his foot ripped through his Nike shoe, causing him to slip,[81][82] he did not return to the game, which Duke lost, 88–72.[83] Nike saw the value of its stock drop by $1.1 billion the following day as a result of the incident.[84][85] The day after the injury, Duke announced that Williamson was "day-to-day."[86] The incident led to growing calls for Williamson to stop playing basketball at the college level because he had already established himself as the top 2019 NBA draft prospect.[87][88] In addition, the injury resulted in more criticism of the NCAA for not paying student-athletes,[89][90][91] he was held out from his team's final six games in the regular season.[92] When the regular season concluded, Williamson earned Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the ACC, joining former Duke players Jahlil Okafor and Marvin Bagley III as the only recipients of both awards, he additionally made the ACC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams.[93] Sporting News named Williamson as its Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year,[94] he returned from injury on March 14, posting 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals in an 84–72 win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.[95] He shot 13-of-13 from the field, marking the best shooting performance in school and tournament history, while tying the best in ACC history.[96] Williamson also became the first Duke player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals in a game since Christian Laettner in 1992;[97] the next day, he scored 31 points including the game-winner to help Duke defeat North Carolina, 74–73, in the ACC Tournament semifinals.[98] After posting 21 points in a 73–63 victory over Florida State in the championship game, Williamson was named ACC Tournament MVP, becoming the sixth freshman to win the honor.[99]

For the 2019 NCAA Tournament, official broadcast partner CBS specifically devoted a camera—called the "Zion Cam"—to record Williamson throughout the tournament.[100] In his NCAA Tournament debut on March 22, he scored 25 points in an 85–62 win over 16th-seeded North Dakota State.[101] On March 24, Williamson erupted for 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 77–76 second round victory over UCF, he was the first player in school history to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in an NCAA Tournament game.[102] Williamson led all scorers on March 31, with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a season-ending 68–67 loss to Michigan State in the Elite 8.[103] Through 33 appearances in his freshman season, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.[104] He shot 68 percent from the field, which led the ACC, ranked second in the NCAA Division I, and was the highest ever field goal percentage by a freshman.[105][106] In addition, Williamson joined Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshmen to collect 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season.[106]

On April 15, 2019, Williamson declared his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft.[107] After the New Orleans Pelicans won the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, Williamson's stepfather Lee Anderson said they were excited about him potentially playing in New Orleans and dismissed rumors that he would return to Duke for a second year, saying "As far as returning to Duke, that's not something we've even considered."[108]

Professional career

On June 20, 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Williamson with the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft.[109][110] On July 1, 2019, Williamson officially signed with the Pelicans.[111]

Player profile

Williamson goes in for a slam dunk against Hartford, December 2018

Williamson is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and weighs 285 pounds (129 kg).[112][113] Despite his heavy weight for a basketball player, he is known for his speed and leaping ability.[114][115] NBA player Kevin Durant described him as a "once-in-a-generation type athlete" while an anonymous college basketball coach labeled him a "freak of nature."[116][117] Williamson plays the power forward position but is also capable of being a small-ball center.[118] However, he is best played as a forward due to his size, he has been described as not fitting a specific basketball position.[119] His physical attributes have drawn comparisons to former NBA stars Charles Barkley and Larry Johnson.[120] In addition, according to different analysts, he resembles NBA players LeBron James and Julius Randle.[119] Lee Sartor, Williamson's high school coach, reported that basketball coach Roy Williams told Williamson "that he was probably one of the best high school players he's seen since Michael Jordan".[121] Williamson, who is left-handed, is almost ambidextrous, being adept using either hand.[119]

While in high school, Williamson drew national attention for his slam dunks.[122] The Charlotte Observer remarked that he "could be the best high-school dunker in history."[123] NBA point guard John Wall has likened Williamson's in-game dunking ability to that of Vince Carter.[124] Williamson's outside shooting has been considered a point of concern, and he has unorthodox shot mechanics.[3][5][125] Recruiting service 247Sports has praised his ball handling and passing skills for his size, commenting that they are "overshadowed by [his] athletic plays."[126] Williamson has the ability to defend multiple positions well due to his speed and length, although his defensive effort has been questioned,[127] his explosive play makes him a reliable shot-blocker and gives him prowess as a rebounder.[128]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Duke 33 33 30.0 .680 .338 .640 8.9 2.1 2.1 1.8 22.6

Personal life

Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina to Lateef Williamson and Sharonda Sampson.[129] Lateef was a football defensive lineman at Mayo High School in Darlington, South Carolina who was designated a 1993 High School All-American by Max Emfinger, and had committed to NC State before transferring to Livingstone College.[129][3] Sampson was a sprinter at Livingstone and became a middle school health and physical education teacher,[129] she named Williamson after the biblical location Mount Zion near Jerusalem, taking her grandmother's advice to name him "something extra special."[1] When Williamson reached two years of age, following the death of his maternal grandmother, his family moved to Florence, South Carolina.[129][3] By the time he was five years old, his parents divorced, and his mother married Lee Anderson, a former Clemson basketball player.[3][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bezjak, Lou (October 1, 2016). "Williamson drawing attention as one of 2018's finest". The State. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e Jordan, Jason (December 23, 2016). "Chick-fil-A Classic: Zion Williamson is taking the country by storm". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "The legend of basketball phenom Zion Williamson". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  4. ^ Mcfadden, Naeem (February 20, 2013). "Middle school basketball teams capture conference championships". The Morning News. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Babb, Kent (April 8, 2017). "Zion Williamson, 16, might be the best dunker on the Internet. And what else?". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  6. ^ Norlander, Matt (January 23, 2019). "The real story of Ja Morant and Zion Williamson playing on the same AAU team". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  7. ^ "2015 Boys Basketball All-Area Team". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Figman, Adam (June 6, 2017). "Generation Z". Slam. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Eight area players ready for SCISA North-South All-Star games". The Morning News. March 6, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Melton, Kevin (May 3, 2016). "Zion Williamson picks up offer from South Carolina". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  11. ^ Meyer, Jerry (June 17, 2016). "Zion Williamson leading NBA Top 100 Camp in scoring". 247Sports. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  12. ^ Resetar, Max (August 20, 2016). "Zion Williamson Wins the 2016 Elite 24 Dunk Contest". Slam. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Melton, Kevin (April 22, 2017). "Slam Dunk: Zion Williamson repeats as Player of the Year". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Bezjak, Lou (November 15, 2016). "Jalek Felton, Christian Brown on Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year watch list". The State. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  15. ^ Jordan, Jason (January 24, 2017). "Zion Williamson's newfound fame has grown his social media following substantially". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  16. ^ Watson, Randy (November 15, 2016). "Zion Williamson Drops 42 & 13 in Season Debut". Ballislife. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  17. ^ Burns, Ashley (November 18, 2018). "Steph Curry Is Impressed By High School Hoops Prospect Zion Williamson And You Should Be, Too". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  18. ^ "Five-Star Junior Prospect Zion Williamson Drops 50 Points". Slam. November 24, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  19. ^ Regan, Brett (November 24, 2016). "Zion Williamson's Monster 50-Point Performance Steals ToC Show". FloHoops. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  20. ^ Melton, Kevin (December 21, 2016). "Spartanburg Day's Zion Williamson has record night in tourney opener". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  21. ^ Melton, Kevin (December 30, 2016). "Newton tops Spartanburg Day; Zion Williamson named MVP". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  22. ^ Jordan, Jason (January 15, 2017). "Zion Williamson's No. 1 fan Drake sports his high school jersey". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  23. ^ Wellman, Webb (January 20, 2017). "Zion Williamson 48 Points & Dunks On Everyone But The Coach". Ballislife. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  24. ^ FitzPatrick, Joel (February 14, 2017). "Zion Williamson sets state record in rout". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  25. ^ "2016–17 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. April 11, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  26. ^ "2016–17 MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. April 6, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  27. ^ Halley, Jim (March 28, 2017). "ALL-USA Boys Basketball First Team: Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day (S.C.)". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  28. ^ Bossi, Eric (April 22, 2017). "No. 2 and No. 3 Zion Williamson and Romeo Langford duel at adidas Gauntlet". Rivals. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  29. ^ Figman, Adam (June 6, 2017). "Zion Williamson Covers SLAM 210". Slam. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  30. ^ Medcalf, Myron (July 27, 2017). "AAU game featuring LaMelo Ball, Zion Williamson goes on despite large crowd". ESPN. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  31. ^ Tomes, Evan (August 23, 2017). "adidas Nations: Top High School / Internationals". NBADraft.net. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  32. ^ Halley, Jim (April 4, 2018). "ALL-USA Boys Basketball First Team: Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  33. ^ Ostrander, Lynden (November 15, 2017). "Zion Williamson scores 46 points in season opener". MaxPreps. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  34. ^ Ramspacher, Andrew (November 21, 2017). "Zion Williamson keeps dunking and college programs keep waiting". The State. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  35. ^ Millians, Rick (December 13, 2017). "What's wrong with Zion Williamson and when will he return?". The State. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  36. ^ Bezjak, Lou (January 6, 2018). "Zion Williamson's return to the court coming soon". The State. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  37. ^ "High school basketball phenom Zion Williamson dominates in return to the court after injury". MaxPreps. January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  38. ^ Johnson, Chris (January 20, 2018). "Viral Sensation Zion Williamson Picks Duke as Blue Devils Solidify Loaded 2018 Class". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  39. ^ Blackwell, Jed (February 8, 2018). "With a monster dunk, Zion Williamson closes out his final home game". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  40. ^ Landreth, Rob (February 17, 2018). "Zion Williamson gets 3,000th career point to open SCISA tourney". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  41. ^ Boardwine, Andrew (February 24, 2018). "Spartanburg Day, Zion Williamson, down Trinity-Byrnes in SCISA 2A title". The Morning News. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  42. ^ "Official Basketball Box Score – Game Totals – Final Statistics" (PDF). McDonald's All-American Game. March 28, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  43. ^ Boone, Kyle (March 29, 2018). "Zion Williamson injury: Five-star Duke commit injures hand in McDonald's All-American Game". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  44. ^ Zagoria, Adam (April 7, 2018). "Zion Williamson Sidelined For Jordan Brand Classic & Nike Hoop Summit". FloHoops. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  45. ^ Divens, Jordan (April 10, 2018). "2017–18 MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  46. ^ Halley, Jim (April 4, 2018). "ALL-USA Boys Basketball First Team: Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  47. ^ Flores, Ronnie (April 25, 2018). "All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Honorees". Grassroots Hoops. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  48. ^ Wertz Jr., Langston (March 31, 2018). "UNC, Duke recruits named Mr. Basketball in North, South Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  49. ^ Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "Basketball star Zion Williamson: 'Wide open' on recruiting, including ... Wofford?". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  50. ^ "Name to Know: 6'5″ 2018 Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Country Day (SC)". Phenom Hoop Report. September 15, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  51. ^ Meyer, Jerry (August 22, 2016). "Top247 No. 1 Zion Williamson lists four recruiting him hardest". 247Sports. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  52. ^ Rowe, Adam (August 30, 2016). "Duke offers 247Sports' #1 player in 2018, SF Zion Williamson". 247Sports. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  53. ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 15, 2018). "Ex-LSU asst.: Zion Williamson 'probably the best damn tight end to ever live'". ESPN. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  54. ^ "Zion Williamson takes over top spot in 247Sports' 2018 basketball player rankings". USA Today High School Sports. August 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  55. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (January 5, 2018). "Clemson has become the surprise favorite for 5-star basketball recruit Zion Williamson". SB Nation. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  56. ^ Borzello, Jeff (January 21, 2018). "Zion Williamson pledge gives Duke top three players in ESPN 100". ESPN. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  57. ^ a b Pope IV, Jonas (January 20, 2018). "Zion Williamson: 'I will be joining the brotherhood of Duke University'". The News & Observer. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  58. ^ Roberts, Ben (January 22, 2018). "Duke has the top three basketball recruits in the country. Has that ever happened?". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  59. ^ Connolly, Matt (January 22, 2018). "How could Clemson lose 'a mile-and-a-half lead' for Zion Williamson?". The State. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  60. ^ Boone, Kyle (August 16, 2018). "Duke's Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett lead Blue Devils to exhibition rout of Ryerson". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  61. ^ "John R. Wooden Award Presented By Wendy's Announces 2018–19 Preseason Top 50 Watch List". John R. Wooden Award. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  62. ^ "Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Watch List Released". Naismith College Player of the Year. Atlanta Tipoff Club. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  63. ^ "College basketball awards: 20 power forwards named to Karl Malone Award preseason watch list". ncaa.com. NCAA. October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  64. ^ Doyel, Gregg (November 7, 2018). "Meet Duke phenom Zion Williamson, the most unique college basketball player I've ever seen". USA Today. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  65. ^ "No. 4 Duke Topples No. 2 Kentucky 118–84". Duke Athletics. November 7, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  66. ^ Rollins, Khadrice (November 11, 2018). "Zion Williamson's Almost-Perfect First Half Propels Duke to 22-Point Win Over Army". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  67. ^ a b "ACC Announces Weekly Basketball Honors". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 12, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  68. ^ "Williamson Leads No. 1 Duke Past Clemson 87–68". Duke Athletics. January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  69. ^ "Virginia's Guy, Duke's Williamson recognized". Atlantic Coast Conference. January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  70. ^ Hale, David M. (January 9, 2019). "Duke's Zion Williamson posts all-around gem in rout of Wake Forest". ESPN. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  71. ^ Wiseman, Steve (January 12, 2019). "Duke star Zion Williamson poked in left eye, suffers double vision". The News & Observer. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  72. ^ Goldberg, Rob (January 14, 2019). "Tyus Battle's 32 Lead Syracuse to Shocking Upset Win over Zion Williamson, Duke". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  73. ^ "Duke University Men's Basketball Postgame Notes January 14, 2019 – vs. Syracuse" (PDF). Duke Athletics. January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  74. ^ "Williamson Grabs Third ACC Freshman of the Week Honor". Duke Athletics. January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  75. ^ "Zion Williamson leaves an impression on Notre Dame". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  76. ^ "Duke University Men's Basketball Postgame Notes January 28, 2019 – vs. Notre Dame" (PDF). Duke Athletics. January 28, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  77. ^ "Williamson's 29 leads No. 2 Duke to 91-61 rout of St. John's". ESPN. Associated Press. February 2, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  78. ^ "Williamson Named National Player, ACC Freshman of the Week". Duke Athletics. February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  79. ^ "Barrett has triple-double, No. 2 Duke beats NC State, 94-78". ESPN. Associated Press. February 16, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  80. ^ "Duke's Williamson sweeps ACC weekly honors". Atlantic Coast Conference. February 18, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  81. ^ "Zion Williamson felled by faulty Nike as North Carolina blast top-ranked Duke". The Guardian. February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  82. ^ Gleeson, Scott (February 21, 2019). "Duke star Zion Williamson considered 'day-to-day' with a knee sprain". USA Today. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  83. ^ "With Zion injured, No. 8 UNC routs No. 1 Duke 88-72". ESPN. Associated Press. February 21, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  84. ^ Drury, Colin (February 22, 2019). "Nike stock market value plunges by $1.1bn after basketball star Zion Williamson's shoe breaks". The Independent. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  85. ^ Alexander, Chip (February 21, 2019). "Zion Williamson's shoe blowout, knee injury leads to blowback for Nike". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  86. ^ Gleeson, Scott (February 21, 2019). "Duke star Zion Williamson considered 'day-to-day' with a knee sprain". USA Today. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  87. ^ Jenkins, Sally (February 21, 2019). "Zion Williamson injury makes clear: The NCAA has turned education into a risk". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  88. ^ Wertz Jr., Langston (February 21, 2019). "NBA players urge Zion Williamson to shut it down after bizarre injury during UNC game". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  89. ^ Sullivan, Tim (February 21, 2019). "Zion Williamson's injury underscores the inequities of college sports". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  90. ^ Gregory, Sean (February 21, 2019). "Zion Williamson's Exploding Shoe Is a Reminder That College Basketball Needs Serious Fixing". Time. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  91. ^ Skinner, Nancy (February 26, 2019). "How to pay NCAA athletes like Zion Williamson without costing colleges a dime". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  92. ^ "Zion Williamson Caps Stunning Return, Leading Duke to A.C.C. Title". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 17, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  93. ^ "ACC 2019 Men's Basketball All-Conference Team, Postseason Awards". Atlantic Coast Conference. March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  94. ^ DeCourcy, Mike (March 13, 2019). "Duke's Zion Williamson is Sporting News Player, Freshman of the Year". Sporting News. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  95. ^ Tracy, Marc (March 14, 2019). "Zion Williamson Returns in Style, Leading Duke to Victory Over Syracuse". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  96. ^ "Duke University Men's Basketball Postgame Notes March 14, 2019 – vs. Syracuse (ACC Tournament Quarterfinals)" (PDF). Duke Athletics. March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  97. ^ Parrish, Gary (March 15, 2019). "Duke remains No. 5 in Top 25 And 1 after Zion Williamson's incredible return". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  98. ^ Jones, Jonathan (March 16, 2019). "Zion Williamson Puts on a Show in Classic Duke-UNC Rivalry Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  99. ^ "Duke Beats FSU for Program's 21st ACC Title". Associated Press. March 16, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  100. ^ Lauletta, Tyler (March 22, 2019). "CBS hired a special cameraman to work the 'Zion Cam' and record every move the Duke star makes in his NCAA tournament run". Business Insider. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  101. ^ "Top-Seeded Duke Beats NDSU, 85-62, in NCAA Opener". Associated Press. March 22, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  102. ^ "Duke University Men's Basketball Postgame Notes March 24, 2019 – vs. UCF" (PDF). Duke Athletics. March 24, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  103. ^ "Duke Falls to Michigan State, 68-67". Associated Press. March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  104. ^ "Zion Williamson Stats". ESPN. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  105. ^ "Zion Williamson Named NABC Player, Freshman of the Year". Duke Report. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  106. ^ a b Duncan, Jeff (April 2, 2019). "Zion Williamson could transform basketball in New Orleans and the Pelicans must do everything they can to get him". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  107. ^ "Zion declares for draft after 'best year' of life". ESPN.com. April 15, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  108. ^ Shapiro, Michael (May 16, 2019). "Zion Williamson's Stepfather Says Former Duke Star Won't Return to College After Pelicans Won Lottery". SI.com. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  109. ^ "Pelicans pick Zion to open draft, Morant goes 2nd". ESPN.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  110. ^ "NBA draft: Zion Williamson is selected first by the New Orleans Pelicans". June 21, 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  111. ^ "Pelicans sign Zion Williamson". NBA.com. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  112. ^ "Zion Williamson". Duke Blue Devils. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  113. ^ Boone, Kyle (January 21, 2018). "Why 5-star Zion Williamson would fit better at Clemson than Kentucky, Kansas, or Duke". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  114. ^ Phillips, Scott (July 7, 2018). "Zion Williamson breaks Duke vertical leap record". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  115. ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (October 19, 2017). "We've never seen anyone like Zion Williamson ... but will his game work in the NBA?". SB Nation. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  116. ^ Johnson, Chris. "Zion Williamson: Basketball's next dunking prodigy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  117. ^ Smith, Cam (November 29, 2017). "Kevin Durant on Zion Williamson: 'He's a once-in-a-generation type athlete'". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  118. ^ Westerholm, Tony (January 20, 2018). "Zion Williamson to Duke: Three takeaways as hyper-athletic forward joins Blue Devils mens basketball". The Republican. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  119. ^ a b c Bossi, Eric (April 18, 2016). "Adidas Gauntlet: Feeding frenzy for five-star Langford". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  120. ^ Bossi, Eric; Evans, Corey (January 18, 2018). "Rival Views: The best Zion Williamson comparison". Rivals. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  121. ^ Fowler, Scott (February 16, 2017). "Is SC dunking phenom Zion Williamson basketball's next LeBron James?". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  122. ^ Wiseman, Steve (August 10, 2018). "Duke's Zion Williamson talks dunks, his fame and learning from Coach K". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  123. ^ Fowler, Scott (February 14, 2017). "Is Zion Williamson the best prep dunker ever? Watch this video from ONE GAME and drool". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  124. ^ Nelson, Ryne (August 29, 2017). "John Wall: Zion Williamson Is Top 2–3 'Most Athletic Player I've Ever Seen'". Slam. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  125. ^ Gribanov, Mike (November 11, 2017). "Draft Profile: Zion Williamson". The Stepien. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  126. ^ Flaherty, Kevin (April 19, 2018). "YouTube star Zion Williamson creates challenge for evaluators". 247Sports. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  127. ^ Westerholm, Tom (January 14, 2018). "Zion Williamson Scouting: How does the freakishly athletic HS forward project to the NBA?". The Republican. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  128. ^ Uehara, Rafael (August 1, 2018). "Prospect Report: Zion Williamson Of Duke". RealGM. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  129. ^ a b c d Wertz, Jr., Langston (November 5, 2016). "One of nation's top basketball recruits resides in Spartanburg, says Coach K offered scholarship". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 7, 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zion_Williamson&oldid=905462640"