Pelicans Scoop

New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson Picks Where NBA Star Would Have Gone to College

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williams shared his best guess about where a fellow NBA star would have played collegiately.

Kenneth Teape

Mar 4, 2020; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shakes hands with New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) after the game at American Airlines Center.
Mar 4, 2020; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shakes hands with New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) after the game at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson made quite an impact with the Duke Blue Devils during his one season of college basketball.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft cemented his status as a top prospect after dominating his one season as a collegiate player. He took home a ton of accolades, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 30 minutes per game.

Williamson had 26 awards in one season according to his College-Basketball-Reference page, including being named AP Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and an All-American.

Duke went 32-6 that season, losing in the Elite 8 to the Michigan State Spartans as he was joined by fellow top 10 picks RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. Overall, that year’s Blue Devils team had seven players appear in the NBA.

Of course, not everyone takes the same path to becoming a professional basketball player. While Williamson played one season collegiately, some players, such as international prospects, may bypass the college ranks altogether.

That is what Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic did.

He began his professional career with Real Madrid at 15 years old. In the 2018 NBA Draft, he was selected No. 3 overall by the Atlanta Hawks and traded to the Mavericks in a swap that included the draft rights to Trae Young.

Young played his college basketball with the Oklahoma Sooners. Where would Doncic have gone had he attended college in the United States?

Williamson had a few guesses.

The Pelicans star, Doncic, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic and Jayson Tatum of the defending champion Boston Celtics all spent time together recently overseas for a Jordan Brand event.

Plenty of clips have gone viral from their trip, and one that has picked up steam recently was all of them answering about where the Slovenia native would have ended up for college.

Williamson provided three options; the USC Trojans, Texas A&M Aggies and Florida Gators. He does not believe the Gonzaga Bulldogs would have been an option despite it being suggested to him.

Banchero and Tatum, both Duke products as well, had different answers. The Magic standout believes Doncic would have been a Blue Devil, while Tatum suggested a school on the west; the Arizona Wildcats, which was Doncic’s selection as well.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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