UNC Recruiting: Zion Williamson’s emphatic return from injury

Zion Williamson returns from injury, looks to solidify his place in the class of 2018

Class of 2018 five-star prospect Zion Williamson has spent most of the last two months resting a bruised knee that he suffered at the Adidas Gauntlet in April.

On Saturday morning, Williamson took the court for the first time since that tournament, sporting an athletic brace on the affected knee.

And although his explosiveness was a bit subdued, and his first step wasn’t as quick as we are used to seeing, Williamson was impressive nonetheless.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound small forward was able to play on and off the ball, set screens, post-up, attack the rim for rebounds and rise up for strong dunks.

The 16-year-old’s strength and athleticism are already at an NBA level, and that’s no hyperbole. Neither is the notion that his ability to dunk the ball is already better than most current professional basketball players.

And even though the majority of college basketball recruiting outlets have stated that Marvin Bagley will not lose the top spot in the 2018 class rankings, Williamson is right behind him and may have something to say about that over the course of the next year.

While Bagley may be the more polished player at the moment, and the one projected to be the better player overall, Williamson could easily end up as the most impactful player at the college level.

His combination of size and sheer strength, along with his tremendous athleticism and leaping ability, will make him a nightmare for defenders to guard. That, and his ability to apply defensive pressure and run the fast break, make him one of the most coveted recruits in the country.

Williamson insists that his recruitment is wide open at the moment, stating that in-state schools Wofford and South Carolina have just as good of a chance as others.

It’s Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Clemson, though, that seem to have the most traction with the Spartanburg, South Carolina native.

Williamson is the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2018 according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. He’s the top small forward in the class and the No. 1 player in the state of South Carolina.

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He currently holds offers from over 30 schools including Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia, among others.