After being forced to win without arguably the team's biggest star against Florida State, the Blue Devils will be back to full strength Monday.
Zion Williamson was in the starting lineup released Monday evening for Duke's matchup with Syracuse after getting poked in the eye during the Blue Devils' 80-78 win at Florida State over the weekend. Williamson left the game late in the first half and did not play at all during the final 21:11.
Afterwards, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Williamson had "double vision" but noted that the Spartanburg, S.C., native didn’t have headaches or any signs of a concussion. Krzyzewski was hopeful Saturday that Williamson would be available to go against the Orange.
Duke had to lean on its other three star freshmen in the second half Saturday, including fellow top-three recruits R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish, who combined for 55 points against the Seminoles. With Williamson sidelined, the team was forced to win from the perimeter as big men Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden struggled to defend Florida State's size.
Williamson's return will give the Blue Devils back their biggest interior presence and the 6-foot-7 forward's ability to plow through the paint will be crucial for Duke's effort to break Syracuse's zone Monday evening.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."