What if Zion did not choose Duke?
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Zion Williamson has become the talk of college basketball and helped the Blue Devils to a No. 1 seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Since Williamson surprisingly picked Duke back in January 2018, how have those who missed out on him fared?
Technically, the 6-foot-7 forward from Spartanburg (S.C.) Country Day chose Duke over Clemson, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina but it was likely the Tigers, Wildcats and Tar Heels who came closest. How have they missed Zion?
CLEMSON
No team felt the sting of missing out on Zion than Clemson and Brad Brownell. Headed into his decision, it looked for all the world that he would stay to play for the home state school and inject a previously unseen level of excitement into a program that was building momentum by giving them a true superstar to build around.
The Tigers were in the midst of a season where they finished third in the ACC, made a Sweet Sixteen run and would be returning the vast majority of an experienced team to play around Zion. With him they would have easily been expected to make at least another run to the Sweet Sixteen. Without him? Well, Clemson sputtered a bit this year finishing .500 in ACC play and is currently on its way to the second round of the NIT.
Obviously, finding another recruit with the talent of Williamson wasn’t going to be a possibility. But, the Tigers were able to add a pair of big men transfers in Oral Roberts’ Javan White who played good backup minutes as graduate senior and UNC Asheville’s Jonathan Baehre. A 6-foot-9 four man with athleticism and touch, Baehre sat out the season due to transfer rules but hopes are high that he can be an impact player next season.
KENTUCKY
Until the final week or so of Williamson’s recruitment when most of the gossip shifted towards Clemson, Kentucky appeared to be making a run at Williamson and hopes were high that he would end up in Lexington.
If any coach and program were ever built for handling the loss of a highly-touted prospect it is Kentucky and John Calipari. While the Wildcats would undoubtedly be the favorites to win this year’s NCAA Tournament with Williamson on the team, it’s not like they’ve struggled without him. UK had a strong SEC run finishing 15-3 and in a tie for second in the conference, the Wildcats earned a No. 2 seed and are very strong contenders to win this year’s title.
Missing on Williamson likely cleared the way for five-star E.J. Montgomery to pick the Wildcats and it surely helped in making graduate transfer Reid Travis feel like there would be room for him. Five-star wing Keldon Johnson was able to handle minutes as a freshman and without Zion in the fold, there were more minutes for Tyler Herro who has outplayed high expectations. Bottom line, Cal and Cats have been just fine.
NORTH CAROLINA
If Williamson was going to play college ball on Tobacco Road, most figured that it would be for Roy Williams at North Carolina. Much like Kentucky, the Tar Heels would have been the favorites to win a National Championship at this point, but they are doing just fine without him.
The Heels returned an experienced team this year and seniors Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson have been more than up to the task of carrying the load offensively. The Heels have fought through injuries to secure Williams’ ninth regular season ACC crown and they are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest.
After missing on Williamson, UNC never added anybody else to its recruiting class that featured five-star forward Nassir Little (who was actually ranked ahead of Williamson and had NBA execs mesmerized after strong All-Star game play), five-star guard Coby White and four-star wing Rechon Black. While Little hasn’t quite played up to expectations and it was a mistake to rank him over Williamson, he’s had plenty of positive flashes and White has blossomed into a potential one and done at the point guard.
