Anthony Edwards scores 27 points in front of Roy Williams, Georgia assistant
By JACOB POLACHECK Anthony Edwards, the 6-foot-5 shooting
By JACOB POLACHECK Anthony Edwards, the 6-foot-5 shooting
Zion Williamson and Duke returned to No.
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Zion Williamson has never played a game at Madison Square Garden.
In fact, none of Duke’s heralded freshmen — Williamson, R.J. Barrett or Cam Reddish — has ever played at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
But that will change on Thursday night when No. 2 Duke and Zion Mania meet No. 12 Texas Tech at the Garden (7 p.m., ESPN2).
Fans at the game and those watching on TV will be waiting with baited breath for Williamson’s next set of highlight dunks and blocks.
“There has never been anyone like Zion at any level,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas told The New York Times this week. “There has never been anyone of his size who can move like him.”
The latest example of that came Tuesday night when the 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson and his 45-inch vertical leap elevated for this block against Princeton and hit his head on the backboard.
Kansas, Duke and Tennessee remained the top
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Jordan Tucker cannot wait until Saturday.
That’s the day he will make his debut for Butler after transferring from Duke in January, and then sitting out per NCAA transfer regulations.
“I’ve been thinking about this game since I got to Butler,” the 6-foot-7, 210-pound wing from White Plains, N.Y. said Thursday by phone. “I’ve been excited for eight months. I can’t wait to get on the floor and to get out there with my teammates.”
Ironically, his college debut will come against Indiana, a program he heavily considered before choosing the Blue Devils.
“Yeah, I strongly considered going there until [Tom] Crean got fired and I was just about to go there,” Tucker said.
By JACOB POLACHECK
Walker Kessler, the 6-foot-10 center from Woodward Academy (GA), broke down his recruitment for ZAGSBLOG Sunday. Kessler, who has taken official visits to Vanderbilt (Sept. 21) and Michigan (Nov. 2), broke down each school:
Vanderbilt: “I loved my visit. It’s a great school in a great area (Nashville). They have a great coaching staff. Simi [Shittu] and Darius Garland were both McDonald’s All-Americans and are great kids. So I liked it a lot.”
“They just said pretty much, ‘Hey if you come here, you’re going to be our guy. We’re going to run our offense around you.’ Similar to how they did with Luke Kornet.
Michigan: “Pretty much the same as Vanderbilt. It’s a great school with a great atmosphere. The coaching staff is great. They had the same pitch, but this time with Mo Wagner. That’s who they said I would play like and who they would run their offense through.”
Kessler will take his third official visit to Virginia next month (Jan. 5). He broke down his thoughts on Virginia.
“Obviously, they’re probably going to be a final four team this year,” said Kessler. “They are a great defensive team with a great coach, [Tony] Bennett. They have great facilities and are a great school overall. I just like the area also.”
