Zion Williamson day-to-day with knee sprain: Who fills his shoes at Duke?
With Zion Williamson day-to-day with a knee sprain, these players need to step up to keep Duke in position for a No. 1 seed and an ACC championship.
The college basketball world held its breath as Zion Williamson left the court after a freak accident, sustaining an undisclosed knee injury after tearing straight through his shoe 36 seconds into Duke’s game vs. North Carolina.
After Williamson’s freak injury at Cameron Indoor on Wednesday night, coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils will be without Williamson for at least a few days as Duke said he has a Grade I knee sprain and is officially listed as day-to-day. Duke plays at Syracuse who beat Duke with Williamson earlier this year, on Saturday and likely won’t have the projected top pick in the NBA Draft.
With the need for a Blue Devil hero coming into focus for the length of time Williamson remains out with his injury, (or if he decides to shut down the season for good ahead of his NBA future), Coach Krzyzewski and Blue Devil Nation will have a big hole to fill going forward.
Until Williamson returns to the Duke lineup, these three players will be counted on more than at any point this season.
3. Javin DeLaurier, Junior
The first man up on our list isn’t (perhaps) one you thought would be at the forefront of this list. DeLaurier, a junior, provides a vastly different skill set (and, admittedly, level of play) than most you’ll se on this list. However, he offers the kind of size that Duke will need down the stretch without Williamson playing on the inside.
He’s only played 13.7 minutes per game this season, but the 6-foot-10, 234-pound big man from Sipman, Va. has posted 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 block in those limited minutes. DeLaurier came into Duke as the No. 39 overall recruit in the Class of 2016, and provides one of the most naturally athletic physiques left on Duke’s roster after the injury to Williamson.
He provides a big frame, with a talented ability to finish at the rim, but the one thing that Duke could use going forward is some veteran leadership. DeLaurier saw action in all 33 games he was available last year, despite missing some time with a foot injury, and is one of the most experienced players on Duke’s roster.
He’s been burdened with foul trouble so far this season, including Wednesday night’s game against North Carolina, but still managed to put up six points, four rebounds and three steals despite accumulating four fouls.
If DeLaurier can step up as a leader on this team, and provide a big, physical presence that allows the Blue Devil’s shooters to get open (and maybe allow Jack White to find his stroke again), it could go a long way for the hopes of the rest of their season.