Zion Williamson is back in action for Duke, which will look to advance to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals by grabbing a win over Syracuse.
The ACC Tournament is officially underway in Charlotte, and Duke is happy to get its best player back. After missing the past five games (and most of a sixth) with a knee injury, Zion Williamson has been cleared to return to action.
The Blue Devils clearly missed Williamson, going just 3-3 without him and struggling to put opponents away. Williamson will need to shake off some rust ahead of the NCAA Tournament, so this event is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Duke’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be the Syracuse Orange, who advanced past Pittsburgh 73-59 last night. Without leading scorer Tyus Battle, coach Jim Boeheim’s team got a lift from an unexpected contributor: his son Buddy.
Buddy Boeheim scored a career-high 20 points in the win, knocking down 6-13 shots from the floor and adding six rebounds for good measure. The victory sets up a third meeting on the year between Duke and Syracuse, with each winning on the opposition’s floor.
The Orange’s win at Cameron Indoor came with the Blue Devils missing both Cam Reddish and Tre Jones, but Duke’s win at the Carrier Dome came without Williamson. As a result, we have yet to see both teams face off with healthy teams, a trend that may continue tonight if Battle isn’t able to play.
The X-factor in this contest could be how well Duke can shoot from the outside. Syracuse’s 2-3 zone can be beaten if teams knock down shots from the perimeter, something that Duke is not good at, ranking 334th in the country in 3-point field goal percentage.
How to watch Duke vs. Syracuse
- Date: Thursday, March 14
- Time: Approximately 9 p.m. ET (30 minutes after the conclusion of the North Carolina-Louisville game)
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Venue: Spectrum Center
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN