Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Basketball: The 10 Duke players UNC fans hated most

By Blake Cockrum

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 23: J.J. Redick #4 of the Duke Blue Devils walks down the court during their Preseason NIT game against the Drexel Dragons at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 23: J.J. Redick #4 of the Duke Blue Devils walks down the court during their Preseason NIT game against the Drexel Dragons at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 31: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after being called for a foul in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson is the most recent addition to this list, having just completed his lone season with the Blue Devils before his No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Williamson might be less deserving of his inclusion on this list than any other Blue Devil. Part of the dislike for Williamson during his short stay at Duke was simply because he was so good.

The 18-year-old took the college basketball world by storm, averaging 22.6 points per game on an outstanding 68 percent shooting. Granted, many of those came on close shots and highlight-reel dunks, but he also hit his fair share of shots from beyond the arc, where he connected on nearly 34 percent of his attempts. He also boasted stats of 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, leading the Blue Devils in all three categories. Of course, this all led to him being named a consensus first team All-American, and National Player of the Year.

And while his play and level of success as an individual didn’t bother some fans, the hype surrounding him did, particularly that of ESPN. The network’s widespread seemingly 24-hour Zion-fest wore on college basketball spectators, and not just the ones in a lighter shade of blue. Pretty much everyone, other than Duke fans, that is, were at least a little fatigued from the over-saturation of Williamson in the headlines dating back to his junior year in high school.

A number of fans relinquished their hatred of Williamson after a touching, heartfelt interview just moments after NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the New Orleans Pelicans made him the top pick in this year’s draft.

Nobody is asking you to love Williamson. Nobody is even asking you to like him. But consider respecting a player that has the heart and work ethic to match his unquestioned athleticism and talent. He also never took a cheap shot at anyone while wearing a Duke uniform, something that the next player on this list certainly can’t claim.

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