It was clear throughout the Blue and White scrimmage that Zion Williamson will be the most impactful player on Duke's young team. The freshman shot 7-of-11 from the field and appeared to do a little bit of everything for his team, from blocking shots to knocking down floaters and of course, crushing rims.
But despite the pomp and circumstance of Countdown to Craziness, a cloud hangs over Williamson.
Just days ago, the Spartanburg, S.C., native's name came up in an ongoing Adidas FBI college basketball trial. In a taped conversation, Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend discussed alleged financial requests from Williamson's family with former Adidas employee Merl Code. If the implications of Williamson's family receiving impermissible benefits prove fruitful, the freshman Blue Devil could be deemed ineligible for his likely lone season at Duke. However, Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski did not seem worried at all.
"We’ve done exhaustive things with the NCAA in the summer," Krzyzewski said. "They have an eligibility center now and an exhaustive process where these kids and their parents go through everything. We feel very comfortable not only with him but all of our freshmen. We feel very comfortable with that."
Whether or not these recent allegations have been troubling Williamson, he did not let it show on the court Friday night. The No. 5 recruit of 2018 notched 14 points and five boards while also terrorizing his teammates on the defensive end, adding two steals and a monster rejection on senior Antonio Vrankovic.
For a team that seemingly lacks in experience, Williamson showed himself to be the complete package for the Blue Devils, a recruit who could attack and defend with confidence, showmanship and fearlessness. Even with rumors swirling around of possible ineligibility, the freshman did not seem to let him get down.
"Honestly, I didn't pay no attention to it," Williamson said. "I was just happy it was Countdown week because I’ve been very excited for it since I came on my visit last year, and Countdown was everything I thought it would be."
As the season begins in just two weeks, we will undoubtedly see Williamson as Duke's unabashed star on the court. Losing him would be a devastating blow for a team that's looking to substitute collegiate experience with pure talent. For now, the young Blue Devil is ready to just leave it on the court.
"I’m just a college kid," Williamson said. "I’m out here just having fun with my classmates and just looking forward to stuff like Countdown and our first game, because you only get one chance at a college experience, so I’m trying to enjoy it while I have it."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.