March Madness: 10 key freshmen in 2019 NCAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 73-63 in the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

1. Zion Williamson, Duke Blue Devils

Freshman forward Zion Williamson has been one of the most exciting players in college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils this season. His return in the ACC Tournament sparked the Blue Devils’ run to the championship title, where he also earned Most Outstanding Player honors for his performance in the tournament.

Now as a No. 1 seed, all eyes will be on Zion alongside his other freshmen teammates as they’re the top team to beat in the East region. Zion produced 27.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the conference tournament in his return.

Despite his absence for the season’s final five games, he still managed to take home ACC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors. He’s the first player to be named Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player in the conference tournament.

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In the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils will rise and fall as Zion Williamson does. He’s yet to falter much this season, other than his shoe incident. Since then, he’s looked better than ever and his team sure could use him with Marques Bolden out.

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