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Duke Basketball: Zion Williamson has become CBB’s best freshman ever

By Kevin Connelly

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - JANUARY 08: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Chaundee Brown #23 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the second half at LJVM Coliseum Complex on January 8, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Duke won 87-65. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - JANUARY 08: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Chaundee Brown #23 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the second half at LJVM Coliseum Complex on January 8, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Duke won 87-65. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The star freshman of this years Duke Basketball team is Zion Williamson and he had quickly become the best freshman in the history of college basketball.

Normally this is a topic that is discussed at the end of the season, particularly after a team wins the National Championship, however, Zion Williamson‘s greatness calls for the conversation to be had now.

Zion Williamson is the best freshman in the history of college basketball.

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When talking about some of the best freshman in college basketball history the names Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Trae Young, and Marvin Bagley III are brought up.

While only 14 games into his one and only colligate season, Zion Williamson has shown that he is currently a better basketball player at this point than those listed at the end of their collegiate careers.

Anthony Davis was a dominant player at Kentucky, averaging 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 4.7 blocks per game. Davis led the Wildcats to a National Championship in the 2011-12 season.

The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft did most of his scoring from inside of the paint, and rightly so, shooting 62.3% from the floor, yet only 15.0% from 3-point range.

Like Williamson, Anthony Davis also had to share the floor with other NBA caliber players such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but in comparison, R.J. Barrett is a much better players as a freshman than Kidd-Gilchrist.

Davis could demand the ball whenever he wanted to, but with Williamson he must share the ball with the plethora of talent around him and is consistently putting up better numbers than Anthony Davis in college.

Another current NBA superstar, Kevin Durant, also got his career jump stated in college at the University of Texas.

While being the lone alpha male at Texas in the 2006-07 season, Durant was able to score 25.8 points per game to go along with 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks.

The Longhorns fell in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament that season, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort for Durant as he shot 47.3% from the field and 40.4% from 3-point range.

Despite Durant’s incredible personal statistics, his lack of team success cannot elevate him into the serious conversation to be the best collegiate freshman of all time.

Carmelo Anthony was the runaway winner in this debate for a number of years, and some still consider him as the best freshman ever, because of his ability to lead the Syracuse Orange to the promise land as a freshman.

While in Syracuse, Melo averaged 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.

Compared to Zion’s six-foot-eight-inch stature and 285 pound build, Carmelo’s was listed at six-feet-eight-inches, yet only 230 pounds, but Anthony did much of his damage from the outside, shooting 45.3% from the field and 33.7% from 3-point range.

In terms of more recent history of college basketball, fans will remember the remarkable seasons of Trae Young and Marvin Bagley III.

Bagley is much more comparable to Zion than Young as Bagley had the ability to score at will in the paint, with the ability to step outside and drill a 3-point ball. The former No. 2 overall pick of the Sacramento Kings averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while in Durham, shooting 61.4% from the floor and 39.7% from beyond the arc, but his defense was nowhere as dominant as Williamson’s.

Young was a prolific scorer from the outside while at Oklahoma. Defenses had to check him as soon as he crossed the timeline, but with extremely subpar defense and no inside game to speak of, Young averaged 27.4 points per game, shooting 42.2% from the field, while taking just under 20 shots per game.

If you take the best part of each players game, you could create a player with as much upside as Zion Williamson.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina native came into college with the reputation as only a dunker, but those critics have sprinted back under a rock.

Zion compete with anyone down low for a rebound, bully defenders in the paint, and if you want to try and double team him once he steps below the 3-point arc, he can step back and drain long range shots like he did against Wake Forest on Tuesday night.

In 14 games, Williamson has averaged 20.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game, while shooting 67.9% from the floor and 28.0% from 3-point range.

While some won’t want to crown Zion Williamson as the best freshman in college basketball history until the Duke Blue Devils are cutting down the nets in Minnesota in early April, whether you like it or not, Zion is changing the way we look at basketball players and has become the best and most dynamic freshman ever.

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