After crushing loss, Duke’s Zion Williamson’s next stop is likely the NBA Draft
Although the expectation was that the Blue Devils would be in the Final Four, if not the NCAA Championship, the team's standout believes this was their last performance together
After Duke suffered a nail-biting defeat to No. 2 ranked Michigan State on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament, Blue Devils standout Zion Williamson told reporters it was likely the last time he and his teammates would ever play together.
“We’re very upset obviously because we wanted to go to the Final Four, but congrats to Michigan State. They deserved it. They played a hell of a game,” Williamson said to reporters following the game, according to Sports Illustrated. “You just look around the locker room and see your teammates and your brothers and you just think this group [is] probably never going to play together again.”
"A lot is obviously going through our minds right now…this group will probably never play together again."
-Zion Williamson on falling short in the Elite Eight. pic.twitter.com/akQFsYrV1K
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 31, 2019
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Williamson seemed retrospective when discussing Duke’s season-ending, 68–67 defeat in the Elite Eight.
He said there was “obviously a high chance” that he would enter this year’s NBA draft but came short of making his decision final. If he does enter the June draft, Williamson is expected to be the Number 1 pick. But he added that some of his teammates may not be back.
“You got seniors and other players who can potentially go pro, so each year, especially coming to Duke, you gotta enjoy being with that group because it changes every year,” Williamson said, according to Sports Illustrated.
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In Duke’s loss to Michigan State, Williamson scored 24 points and brought down 14 rebounds. But in the team’s last three possessions, Coach Mike Krzyzewski called plays, which some people are blasting, that didn’t see Williamson receiving the ball. Despite the small forward being the best player on the squad.
Williamson ended his NCAA tournament run with 104 total points, making him the first freshman to score 100 points in an NCAA tournament since Derrick Rose in 2008, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
“This season has just been a movie,” Williamson told reporters. “It’s not one with the best outcome, but it’s been a great movie. I’m just glad I can be a part of it.”
