Zion Williamson Injured as Luke Maye, UNC Upset Duke

The No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels kept bragging rights in college basketball's biggest rivalry.

After winning two of last season's three matchups against the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina walked into Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday and left with a critical 88-72 road victory over the No. 1 team in the nation. The Tar Heels improved to 11-2 in the ACC, while the Blue Devils saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end while falling to 11-2 in the league as well.

Duke lost Zion Williamson to a knee injury in the first minute of the game and didn't have the firepower without its star to counter the visitors. Luke Maye (30 points and 15 rebounds) and Cameron Johnson (26 points, seven boards and four assists) spearheaded the winning effort for North Carolina.

RJ Barrett (33 points, 13 rebounds and four assists) and Cam Reddish (27 points) were forced into primary roles without Williamson but were the only Blue Devils to score more than six.

Prognosis on Zion's Knee Will Determine National Champion

It takes something extreme to overshadow the actual result when one of sports' most heated rivalries is under the spotlight, but that is exactly what happened in Wednesday's contest.

Williamson was ruled out for the remainder of the game after he suffered a knee injury in the opening minute. The injury occurred when his shoe ripped after he planted his left foot, and he immediately grabbed the back of his knee:

The Blue Devils appeared shell-shocked in the immediate aftermath and found themselves down 10 points at halftime and as many as 22 in the second half.

It was no surprise Duke struggled without Williamson, considering he is one of the top college prospects the sport has seen in years and is averaging 22.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting a blistering 68.3 percent from the field. He will in all likelihood go No. 1 in the 2019 NBA draft and has the talent to become a franchise cornerstone for a decade or more.

He is also the primary reason the Blue Devils are surefire national championship threats for more than just his statistical impact.

It is impossible for collegiate defenders to stop him in one-on-one scenarios, which leads to consistent double-teams and openings for Reddish and Barrett. On the defensive side, Williamson covers for others' mistakes with his ability to both protect the rim and soar out to send perimeter shots into the stands.

The freshman's head-turning block on a corner three during Duke's victory over Virginia stunned the college basketball world and underscored his ability to single-handedly alter an opposing offensive set.

He likely would have been the one to guard Maye in Wednesday's game, and the senior exploded against smaller defenders and provided a blueprint for opponents with talented frontcourts to exploit a Williamson-less defense. North Carolina's ball-handlers also consistently attacked the rim without No. 1 in the way.

That type of two-way impact has resulted in Duke being No. 1 overall, No. 2 offensively and No. 5 defensively in Ken Pomeroy's pace-adjusted rankings. Virginia is the only other team in the top five on both ends of the floor.

If Williamson eventually returns and leads the way with Barrett and Reddish around him, Duke is the clear-cut favorite to cut down the nets as champion. However, his absence ripples through the entire roster and makes the Blue Devils far too top heavy on offense and vulnerable against bigs like Maye and dribble penetration on defense.

Without Williamson, Barrett and Reddish are the only two Duke players who average more than 8.7 points a night. Tre Jones is the only other one who checks in at more than 5.7 per game.

That is not nearly enough offensive depth to win six straight pressure-packed games in the NCAA tournament, as defenses can swarm Barrett and Reddish and take away their primary looks. That is far more difficult to do with three potential top-10 picks on the floor at once, especially when one of them is as talented as Williamson.

It is not hyperbole to say college basketball's national championship rests on the injury prognosis of one player.

UNC's Veteran Leadership Will Prove Vital Come March

North Carolina's game plan surely involved a heavy dose of countering Williamson. While his injury was clearly a blow for the Blue Devils, it would have been easy for the Tar Heels to take their foot off the proverbial gas and relax without the opponent's best player on the floor.

That would have been a recipe for disaster, especially in the raucous Cameron Indoor Stadium environment.

Instead, Maye consistently worked his way into openings in the paint, going after smaller defenders such as Barrett without having to worry about Williamson standing in the way. He also battled on the boards, never lost his composure and set the tone for his entire team.

He was the go-to option whenever Duke created even a semblance of momentum, which prevented any type of miraculous comeback like the one the Blue Devils had against the Louisville Cardinals earlier in the season.

Johnson also immediately recognized how Williamson's absence and inability to cut off driving lanes tilted Duke's defensive ability. He relied more on his penetration than outside shooting, setting an example for the rest of the backcourt in the process.

As a result, the driving of Johnson, Coby White, Kenny Williams and Seventh Woods forced help defenders into the paint and created openings for easy baskets for Maye and others at the rim.

It is no accident the senior leadership of Maye and Johnson provided the path to victory in a hostile road environment with March around the corner. Maye has a national championship on his resume, and Johnson is no stranger to playing at Duke from his time with Pittsburgh before transferring to North Carolina.

It is easy for teams to panic in single-elimination tournament games and spotlight matchups like Wednesday's, but North Carolina's battle-tested pair was never intimidated by the environment or moment and quickly adjusted on the fly like senior leaders do after Williamson's injury.

Their ability to set the tone and maintain North Carolina's composure will continue to pay dividends come March.

What's Next?

Both teams are in action on Saturday with Duke at Syracuse and North Carolina hosting Florida State.