Freshman sensation Zion Williamson, one of a handful of incoming five-stars at Duke, was one of the most electrifying talents in the country as a high school prospect. His highlight reel dunks and ability to seemingly defy gravity made him a social media sensation. It also earned him a ranking by 247Sports as the No. 5 recruit in the 2018 class.
Williamson is still expected to be every bit as powerful a dunker in college as he was in high school, but if his new weight is any indication, they should come jam-packed with some extra punch. Originally listed at 275 coming out of high school, the five-star has added 10 pounds to his frame -- making him a stout 6-foot-7, 285-pounds on Duke's online roster.
And yet he still has a 40+ inch vertical. And a silky smooth stroke. And is still doing things like jamming from the free-throw line.
Still yet, 285 pounds is big. Schools can fudge those listings from time to time, but it doesn't make it any less astounding. According to Jonathan Wasserman, that weight would make him the second-heaviest player in the NBA, behind Boban Marjanović, who is listed at 7-3, 290. So the fact that he can still bounce off the hardwood like he's using a pogo stick at that weight is nothing short of phenomenal.
Even more amazing in Williamson's spectacular ability to defy weight logic is that he enters the 2018 season as, arguably, the third-most heralded recruit on his own team. With No. 1 overall recruit RJ Barrett and No. 2 overall recruit Cameron Reddish both on the roster, Williamson may not even be the most talked about player on his own team. But make no mistake about it, the 2019 projected lottery pick will have his fair share of shine as a Blue Devil -- even if he enters the season as one of the heaviest freshmen in the country.