CHARLOTTE, N.C.— In the final minute of Duke’s 84-72 win against Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament—an event more appropriately marked as Zion Williamson’s Return—the ACC Player of the Year sauntered along the baseline to “Go To Hell Carolina” chants.
In less than 24 hours he will be back on this Spectrum Center floor facing North Carolina for basically the first time in his career after being robbed of the two regular-season contests. More on that later. But as the Blue Devils were salting away the final minute, the shot clock was winding down.