Zion Williamson injury update: Duke freshman star is out vs. Miami as he will miss his third game with knee sprain

Duke announced freshman Zion Williamson will miss his third consecutive game when the Blue Devils face Miami on Saturday as he continues to recover from a mild sprain in his right knee.

Williamson sustained the injury in the first minute of Duke’s Feb. 20 loss to North Carolina, as he blew out his left sneaker and went down. He did not return to the game.

Duke has remained optimistic about Williamson’s return despite pleas by some for him to shut down his season and prepare for the NBA Draft, where he’s expected to go No. 1 overall. Him missing a third consecutive game indicates they are approaching his recovery with caution.

Williamson is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Blue Devils on the season.