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Duke expects Zion Williamson to return for ACC Tournament

By Brad Berreman

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 02: Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils reacts prior to their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - MARCH 02: Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils reacts prior to their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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Zion Williamson will miss another game Tuesday night, but will he return for the rematch against North Carolina?

After missing three games, and the majority of the one he was injured in, there was some optimism Duke forward Zion Williamson would play Tuesday night against Wake Forest. But it has been announced the freshman phenom will miss a fourth straight game as he continues to recover from a Grade 1 sprain in his right knee.

Williamson also isn’t expected to return for the rematch with North Carolina on Saturday but after the Blue Devils’ one-point win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night, Mike Krzyzewski said he expects the front-runner for the National Player of the Year back for the ACC Tournament.

The Blue Devils lost the game Williamson went down in, Feb. 20 against North Carolina. But they’ve survived since, beating Syracuse and Miami and losing narrowly to a ranked Virginia Tech team on the road. Quite frankly, returning to action against the 11-17 Demon Deacons (4-12 in the ACC) would be about him knocking the rust off more than needing him to win the game.

Virginia has created a bit of space at the top of the ACC, with 15-2 mark in conference [play, followed by North Carolina (14-2) and Duke (13-3). But both of the Cavaliers’ losses have come to the Blue Devils, so the tiebreaker would go to them. Virginia plays Louisville Saturday afternoon, and that game will likely just be ending when Duke and North Carolina tip-off their regular season finale. The Tar Heels also play Tuesday night, against Boston College on the road, and they lost their lone game against Virginia this season.

So Duke can win out and win the regular season ACC title, with a little help from Louisville on Saturday.

On Monday Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Williamson was in the final phase of his recovery and did not rule him out immediately for Tuesday night’s game. But Coach K has also said he won’t play Williamson until he’s absolutely 100 percent.

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The 2-3 week recovery timetable for an injury like Williamson’s puts him in line to play in the rematch against North Carolina. That has surely been the goal all along, and barring an unforeseen setback Duke will be at full strength for what is shaping up to be an important rematch in the ACC race and the pecking order for a top-line seed in the NCAA Tournament.