Duke Basketball: Zion Williamson scores 36 as Blue Devils trounce McGill

The Duke basketball team wrapped up its Canada Tour on Sunday in Montreal by totally overpowering the McGill Redmen.

After a sluggish start to the first quarter, the Duke basketball players relied on the fast-break abilities of their star-studded freshmen to provide a spark. And the Blue Devils ended with a 103-58 win over McGill University to finish their three-game Canada Tour with three blowout victories.

Trailing 17-14 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Duke Blue Devils turned up the intensity on defense, leading to a 14-0 run. The Blue Devils ended the half with a 47-34 advantage.

By halftime, freshman phenom Zion Williamson had 16 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. His first-year counterpart, R.J. Barrett, while acting as the Blue Devils’ primary floor general for the third straight game, had 14 points and six assists by halftime.

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Two minutes into the second half, though, Barrett and Williamson connected on what was arguably the most impressive and highlight-worthy alley-oop that Duke fans had a chance to witness during the entire Canada Tour. It was yet another piece of evidence that Williamson can finish with a dunk no matter how high the ball is tossed in his direction.

At the time of the play, ESPN+ broadcasters Dan Shulman and former Duke basketball player Jay Bilas were interviewing Barrett’s dad, Rowan. And he did not shy away from offering his thoughts on the otherworldly ability of Williamson to make a statement by finishing so many plays with such tremendous force.

“You almost have to not be human for Zion not to get you out of your seat,” the elder Barrett said.

When Williamson is on the court, it seems as if he has a visible impact on every single possession.

In other words, the on-court presence of the 6-foot-7, 285-pound native of Spartanburg, S.C., is impossible to miss or ignore.

Williamson showed Duke fans that he is able to finish a high percentage of his drives even when he does not dunk the ball. When Williamson wasn’t in a position for a slam — yes, that does occasionally happen — he used a finger roll with a perfect touch to consistently find the bottom of the net.

Williamson finished with 36 points and 14 rebounds, giving him 89 points (29.7 per game) and 35 boards (11.7 per game) for the entire Canada Tour. Barrett scored 20 points on Sunday to also end up averaging 29.7 points across the Blue Devils’ three summer exhibition games.

The only downside to the win on Sunday was the team’s free-throw shooting and the fact that the contest marked the last time Duke basketball fans will get to see Williamson and Barrett in action until Oct. 23 when the Blue Devils host Virginia Union for an exhibition game.