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DURHAM, NC – Rookie rookie Zion Williamson debuted with Duke at the Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday night, staging a show for fans at the annual "Countdown Madness" event of the year. team. Subsequently, coach Mike Krzyzewski downplayed worries about potential NCAA problems that could prevent his star from playing on the field later this season.
Williamson's recruitment has entered the corruption trial in college basketball this week when FBI tapes said his father-in-law had asked for money and a job in Kansas. A transcript of the calls was read in the courtroom at the trial Tuesday, but the cassettes were not admitted as evidence.
Kansas and Kentucky are loaded. No surprises there. Duke and UNC are in the mix – as usual. But some other candidates might surprise you.
How much can you discover by watching a Blue Devils training? A lot. Zion Williamson can be scary and versatile, but that's not all.
According to court transcripts read in court Tuesday, LSU coach Will Wade and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend were prepared to offer inappropriate benefits to prestigious recruits and their families.
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After Friday's scrum, Williamson, ESPN's 2nd rookie in this year's class, said he was not following the lawsuit and that he was not concerned about any ties. that he could have with the corruption scandal that shook the sport.
"Honestly, I did not pay attention," Williamson said. "I'm just a student, I'm having fun with my classmates and I can not wait to play Countdown and our first game.You only have one chance to live the university experience and I want to enjoy it. "
Krzyzewski stated that he was not concerned that these tapes contain evidence endangering Williamson's eligibility and stated that Duke had already conducted a "thorough" basic search with the NCAA.
"They now have an eligibility center where these kids and their parents go – and they get through everything," Krzyzewski said. "We feel very comfortable with him and all our freshmen."
On the field, Duke's freshmen made their presence known throughout the 20 minutes of the show.
Williamson imposed it from the first touch and added some remarkable finals to the edge, including a pair of windmill style dunks that plunged the crowd into a frenzy. Fans held "10" in the air, indicating their score for his performance, and after the scrum, Williamson was awarded the "Iron Devil" belt, a golden wrestling belt given to the best player .
"It's a fun game to enthuse players for the season, and it's probably the only time I'll have the luxury of doing it," said Williamson. "In a match, it's serious, and you do what you have to do to get points, but it was an electric atmosphere."
Williamson and his freshman, R.J. Barrett, the country's two best rookies, clashed and Williamson said they liked to try to fight each other.
Williamson finished with 14 out of five out of seven out of seven shots on goal, and Barrett was nine out of a total of 19 points for 23 points.
"That's what great players do," said Williamson. "They push themselves to do things that they would not do, and we push ourselves to go harder."
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