One name, countless thoughts of highlight dunks and oh-my-goodness moments: Zion.
Duke superstar freshman Zion Williamson is one of the most polarizing and imposing figures playing college basketball right now, and NBA Twitter has even created the hashtag #TankForZion because the 6-foot-7-inch, 285-pound physical specimen is projected to be one of the top picks in June’s draft.
The Palo Verde High School basketball team has its own Zion, just tack on another n to the end of his name and subtract six inches and 100 pounds from his frame.
Ever since Williamson became a social media phenomenon, Zionn Sandoval’s life hasn’t been the same.
“Oh, my goodness. My life has changed because of him. He’s No. 1 and I’m No. 1 and we both wear white and blue. He’s got that (toughness),” Sandoval said while flexing his arms.
“He’s got that in him and I try to have that in me when I play. I’m just a better shooter.”
Sandoval proved it in Palo Verde’s 69-59 win over Amphitheater on Monday evening, scoring 22 points in the MLK Basketball Classic at McKale Center. The Titans avenged their 11-point loss to the Panthers from earlier this month.
Palo Verde jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the opening minutes Monday and never lost control of the advantage, partly because of Sandoval’s seven points in the quarter. He finished the first half with 14 points, and Palo Verde led 40-22 at halftime.
“That man’s a different breed,” said Palo Verde’s Marcos Blanco who finished the game with 16 points on four 3-pointers. “He puts us all in the same mindset and we all go out there and play together. He knows how to play offense and manipulate the defense.”
Sandoval had the toughest task out of any Titan on Monday: defend Amphi’s Jackson Ruai, a 6-foot-4-inch wing with college offers from Grand Canyon and Nevada, among others. And it was a dogfight. For the entire game, the two exchanged trash-talk. In some stretches, it was a game of one-on-one between the two.
“That’s what we do, we go at each other. I feel like I’m unstoppable, so when someone tries talking to me, I’m like ‘All right, I’m gonna show him that he can’t stop me and I’m that guy,’” Sandoval said.
But at the end of the day, the competitive edge stays between the white lines on the hardwood.
“That’s one of my best friends. I love Jackson Ruai. I love all those dudes over there,” he said.
In the third quarter, Amphitheater went on a 13-2 run, sparked by a Ruai steal and dunk, and cut the deficit to seven points heading into the fourth quarter. Sandoval and the Titans then answered with a 12-4 run led by Sandoval .
With Palo Verde’s win, the Titans improve to 16-3 while Amphi fell to 15-3.
It hasn’t always been a walk-in-the-park for Sandoval’s career at Palo Verde. Fourth-year head coach Marsharne Flannigan has coached Sandoval since he was an incoming freshman. During the early stages of Sandoval’s high school career, he dealt with attitude issues despite his competitive edge.
“Early on he had some issues with his attitude, but he’s matured as an adult and it’s affected his game,” Flannigan said.
“I know exactly what to say to get the best out of Zionn and we’ve had a lot of conversations where we don’t always agree, but at the end of the day, we’re here for each other.”
Even Flannigan can sense the Zion hype in his star guard.
“It’s like a mindset. He just wants to dunk on everybody, I’m surprised he didn’t get one tonight. He’s always going to the hole and trying to put it in somebody’s face,” he said.
The Titans are on pace to finish in the top 16 in the Class 4A state rankings, which would mean a second-straight trip to the postseason.
The only other team in Tucson that has a better record is Salpointe (19-1), although Sandoval isn’t bothered by cross-town competition.
“Palo Verde basketball is the best in Tucson. Period,” he said.
