We’ve been waiting for Zion Williamson to enter the college ranks for quite some time now after endless high school highlights the past few years. The college basketball season hasn’t even officially started, and we’ve already got a doozy.
Williamson had this vicious block against Virginia Union on Tuesday night that somehow didn’t break the backboard:
Now why in the hell would you go up with that ??? @ZionW32 is a damn MAN pic.twitter.com/08lYS1rHeX
— Frankie Vision (@FrankieVision) October 23, 2018
Let’s discuss this monstrosity of a play.
1. Where he jumped from is amazing
His right foot is well outside of the paint, with his launch coming off of his left foot halfway inside the paint.
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How does one even think to do that?
2. How hard the block was considering his point of lift off
From that distance at his size, most players either aren’t getting to the basketball, or are getting just a glance at it. If we had a super slow mo video of this block, it would probably show the ball ended up as a semicircle at strongest impact against the backboard.
It also sounded like a ferocious Serena Williams forehand. You don’t hear that sound on a basketball court.
3. Where he landed is also ridiculous!
He’s at the baseline!
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With that said, it’s also amazing that ...
4. His head didn’t hit the basket
Williamson is 6’6, so perhaps it’s not that surprising. But when you consider how far he traveled to get the basketball and how powerful the block was, he probably should have at least grazed the bottom of the backboard.
5. Where the ball landed
This clipped video doesn’t show the exact landing spot, but it was well beyond the free-throw line at the top of the key. We can’t be certain Williamson called for a checked ball, but we also can’t doubt that.
6. He’s just 18 years old
LOL. I mean really!
7. He’s going to get better!
Williamson’s already cut his weight down to 270 after arriving at Duke at 285. Mind you, he was still making all of these phenomenally athletic plays at his heaviest weight. A college weight room combined with finishing growing is going to make him even more spectacular. I’m not sure any of us can even fathom the things we might see. But it’ll be fun.