Sports News With College Basketball

One of the great – if not the greatest – rivalries in sports was ruined less than a minute in.

Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, shook and reverberated with sound as the Blue Devils, ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, prepared to take on No. 8 North Carolina on Wednesday night.

The fun lasted less than a minute.

Cutting across the court, Duke star freshman Zion Williamson planted his left foot hard and the entire evening changed. Williamson’s left shoe exploded, Williamson hit the floor with his right leg bent awkwardly, and he never played again. Duke, stunned, lost 23 points of its per-game offense and its emotional high. North Carolina rolled to an 88-72 victory.

Williamson, coach Mike Krzyzewski said afterwards, had a mild knee sprain. He could not put a timetable on how long Williamson would be out. North Carolina coach Roy Williams called the injury “a terrible blow” to Duke. He noted that all of the game-planning and preparations made by the Blue Devils vanished with that injury and an in-game adjustment would have been impossible.

Williamson likely will return before the NCAA Tournament in March, if not sooner. Duke needs him, despite its massive talent. Williamson provides rebounding and defense under the basket that was sorely lacking against UNC.

It also points out the risk that players take. Coaches earn millions, TV networks prosper and celebrities turn out (former President Barrack Obama, film director Spike Lee) for the game, but Williamson earns not a nickel. Yes, he gets a scholarship. But he will be leaving after this season for the NBA draft, and now he is not quite whole. He’d be in the NBA now but for its rules that do not permit 18-year-olds to play.

Like others, he goes to college as a “one and done.” Like others, he bears the risk to his future. He will likely be the top choice the in the June NBA draft. What if that injury were more severe, or career-ending?

More than an evening’s enjoyment for us would have been ruined. And that’s wrong.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman