NCAA Basketball: Biggest Winners and Losers from the 2018-19 non-conference
By Adam Childs
No. 6 Loser – Villanova Wildcats
Much has been made about the struggles of Villanova this year. They have just not looked like themselves. They are younger than they are used to and not as experienced. It started with a blowout loss at home to Michigan and was followed up by a bad loss to Furman. For a team not used to losing at home, this was a shock to the fans.
Then they played well but had a tough loss at Kansas which is not a bad loss, but then they dropped a game to Penn for the first time in about 15 years. All in all, it has not been a good year for the Wildcats, especially after winning two of the last three national championships. They already have as many losses as they had all of last year. The Wildcats will need to pick things up in the Big East if they want to get back to the tournament and have a chance to defend their championship.
No. 6 Winner – Zion Williamson
Williamson came in as one of the most hyped freshmen ever to step foot on Duke’s campus. He was even starting to be compared to LeBron James due to his size at his age and his unreal athletic ability. He has the ability to jump out of the gym and can handle the ball.
Williamson has lived up to those lofty expectations so far. He is averaging 19.3 points per game and has dazzled the fans with his dunks all year long. Living up the James comparisons might be hard, but he has shown to be one of the best players on one of the best teams in the country. The biggest question now is how will he handle the grind of playing in the ACC. He looks like he will be able to excel but time will tell.