Zion Williamson
Duke may be Cooking a special point guard
Tom Shanahan Aug 20 2020By TOM SHANAHAN Jeremy Roach said something revealing for a teen-ager that loves college basketball, particularly one that is a 5-star recruit committed to Duke. It was as simple as naming his favorite Duke player. It wasn’t Zion Williamson, the supernova, as you might expect....
Tre Jones faces delayed NBA future with family
Tom Shanahan Mar 27 2020Wilson Times linkBy Tom Shanahan, Special to the Wilson TimesDuke’s Tre Jones joined a video chat with the media on Friday about his decision to declare for the NBA draft. Such an interview normally covers thoughts on the trainers he is working with and what teams want him to...
Carey puts on a Zion night with Zion in house
Tom Shanahan Feb 15 2020DURHAM – Duke’s unparalleled No. 1 from a year ago made a surprise campus visit to watch the Blue Devils and the player wearing his No. 1 this season. Zion Williamson, 2019 national player of the year, meet Vernon Carey, Duke’s 2020 national player of the year candidate. With...
The two smartest guys are ones to watch
Tom Shanahan Jun 2 2019The NBA early entry withdrawal deadline spawned a spate of stories projecting college teams as winners and losers. They were based on players staying in school and those gone to the NBA – actually, overseas or to the G-League for most of them. Those evaluations were a little...
This NBA draft brought out best in parents
Tom Shanahan May 16 2019Not all parents of elite athletes are nuts. We’re reminded of that with comments from Zion Williamson’s step-father, Lee Anderson. Following rapid speculation that Duke’s "Zeus of College Basketball" season will look for a way out of playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA...
Cassius Winston is bullish on legacy stocks
Tom Shanahan Apr 20 2019Cassius Winston’s legacy stock is up. Way up. His NBA prospects determine future financial stocks, but his pro career can only enhance his Michigan State legacy. That was secured once he announced on Friday his senior year return for another NCAA title shot. He has a chance to...
How the good guys beat Duke and Kentucky
Tom Shanahan Apr 1 2019A Michigan State fifth-year senior and an Auburn junior slew a pair of NBA Combine team dragons, leaving Duke and Kentucky short of an NCAA title – not to mention a Final Four – a fourth straight year. Experience still matters most in college basketball. Michigan State’s Kenny...
George was Zion before Zion became Zeus
Tom Shanahan Mar 30 2019Excerpts taken from Raye of Light, Chapter 10: The Missing Heisman.Click here to purchase Raye of Light from August PublicationsMichigan State football legend George Webster was Zion Williamson before Zion Williamson was Duke’s basketball wunderkind. Their stories are a...
Duke sticking point is Jones Family PG Glue
Tom Shanahan Mar 17 2019The headlines, TV replays and talking head superlatives feature Zion Williamson, but it all overlooks a dose of Jones Family PG Glue that has held together Duke’s ups-and-downs this season. Duke’s losses can all be traced to how much glue freshman point guard Tre Jones was able...
Virginia adds more than a puff with Huff
Tom Shanahan Mar 3 2019College basketball teams with national title aspirations this time of year are balancing health with not disrupting a cohesive unit that can make a run through March Madness. In the ACC, the top three contenders are North Carolina and Virginia, tied for first in the...