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Duke star Zion Williamson to return from injury vs. Syracuse

Sam Cooper
·College football writer
Duke's Zion Williamson, second from right, watches from the bench during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Wake Forest in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, March 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Zion is back.

After missing the final five games of Duke’s season, freshman sensation Zion Williamson has officially been cleared to return to action for Thursday night’s ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup against Syracuse.

Williamson, the ACC Player of the Year, has not played since suffering a shoe-exploding knee sprain in the first minute of the Blue Devils’ game against North Carolina on Feb. 20.

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After Duke ended its regular season with another loss to North Carolina, coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters that he expected Williamson to return. And his return could be the key to a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Duke, the No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament, had a 23-2 record with a healthy Williamson, who is averaging 21.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Without him, Duke went 3-3 and fell behind Virginia and UNC in the ACC standings.

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