Zion Williamson’s season came to a crushing close Sunday, ending a magical year for the probable No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft. Despite his team coming up one point shy of the Final Four, the dynamic 6-foot-7, 285-pound Duke forward made an impact like few freshmen have.
But was it the best season for a freshman in recent memory? Here is how The Post ranks the top 10 freshmen seasons over the last 20 years:
1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky 2011-12
The consensus National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Final Four Most Outstanding Player and the No. 1 NBA draft pick will be revered forever in Lexington after leading the Wildcats to their most recent national championship.
2. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 2002-03
He did what Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Derrick Coleman and so many others couldn’t: Win a national championship at Syracuse, as he averaged 26.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in the Final Four.
3. Zion Williamson, Duke 2018-19
His incredible numbers — 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 68 percent shooting — hardly do his memorable season justice. With him in the lineup, Duke went 29-3.
4. Kevin Durant, Texas 2006-07
His one year in Austin was the stuff of legend. He was the only player in the country to finish in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding, averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 boards.
5. Greg Oden, Ohio State 2006-07
Oden led Ohio State to the national title game, averaging 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks, and was the first freshman to win National Defensive Player of the Year honors.
6. Derrick Rose, Memphis 2007-08
He came a free throw away from writing his name into the record books. Still, despite the national championship game overtime loss to Kansas, the gifted athlete guided Memphis to a program-record 38-win season.
7. Kevin Love, UCLA 2007-08
One of two freshmen to be named Pac-12 Player of the Year, he led UCLA in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (10.6) en route to the Final Four.
8. Michael Beasley, Kansas State 2007-08
The southpaw set a Big-12 single-season scoring record by averaging 26.2 points per game and recorded 13 30-point performances.
9. John Wall, Kentucky 2009-10
The start of the John Calipari era at Kentucky began with Wall, the blur-quick point guard who led the Wildcats to a 35-3 record and the Elite Eight, averaging 16.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
10. Trae Young, Oklahoma 2017-18
The first and only player to lead the nation in scoring (27.4) and assists (8.7), and tied the NCAA single-game assist record with 22.