National Player of the Year rankings: Can RJ Barrett overtake Zion Williamson?

1. Zion Williamson – Duke

This week:

• No. 20 Virginia Tech: DNP due to knee injury (L)
• Miami: DNP due to knee injury (W)

Season Stats: 21.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.8 bpg, 2.2 spg

As mentioned several times throughout this piece, the Blue Devils went another week without Zion Williamson, after he sustained a grade one knee sprain against UNC back on Feb. 20 in the opening minute of the game.

Since then he’s missed three games total, in which the Blue Devils have gone 2-1. Last week I really thought the lead was so insurmountable that it probably wasn’t possible for someone like Markus Howard or RJ Barrett to overtake Williamson without something crazy happen.

But as the saying goes – “the best ability is availability” and that’s something Zion Williamson has been lacking over the last two weeks obviously. I keep using the term “Heisman Trophy like finish” because of the way Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray snuck up on Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, who had a similar effect on the nation during the season and lead on the award up until the very end.

We still don’t know when Zion Williamson will return to the Duke lineup, and if the comments from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski are to be taken literally, it may not be until the ACC Tournament or later. If that’s the case, I see a scenario where Zion Williamson doesn’t win the award even after having a near perfect season.

For now, due to the losses, Duke has taken without him and the struggles of Marquette, he holds on to the top spot.