Zion Williamson injury update: Duke freshman star to miss second straight game when Blue Devils face Virginia Tech

Duke freshman Zion Williamson will miss his second consecutive game on Tuesday night when the Blue Devils face Virginia Tech as he continues to recover from a right knee sprain, Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday. Williamson also missed Duke’s game on Saturday against Syracuse.

Williamson sustained the injury last Wednesday night against North Carolina in the opening minute when he blew out his left shoe making a move into the lane and sprained his knee. He did not return to the game. Afterwards, Krzyzewski was optimistic he would be back but could not offer a definitive timetable on a return.

Despite pleas from some for Zion to spurn the rest of his college career and focus on the NBA Draft, where he’s expect to be selected No. 1 overall, Krzyzewski said this weekend that there’s been no such discussions. 

“He wants to play,” Krzyzewski said Saturday. “He loves being at Duke.”

Duke is taking a pragmatic and cautious approach with Williamson’s recovery, especially after avoiding a catastrophic knee injury. He’s still officially listed day-to-day. With the ACC and NCAA Tournament looming in coming weeks, it’s clear the objective is to allow him to fully recover before making a run at the NCAA championship.

Williamson is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 2.2 steals for 23-3 Duke on the season.