Duke Basketball: Analyzing where all 5 players went in 2022 NBA Draft
It was another historic night for Duke Basketball when it comes to the NBA Draft. There was already hype for it, considering that there were five draft-eligible players projected to go somewhere in the top-45 picks. It turned out that they were able to get the No. 1 overall pick in Paolo Banchero to the Orlando Magic.
It was a surprise, as for the past month, there was a consensus view that the top-3 of the draft was going to go Jabari Smith to Orlando, Chet Holmgren to Oklahoma City, and Banchero to Houston. But after a night of shifting oddsmaking, the Magic picked the Blue Devil, giving Duke Basketball a record 5th No. 1 overall pick in program history.
Duke has set its program single-draft record with 5 selections in the 2022 #NBA Draft
— #DukeMBBStats (@DukeMBBStats) June 24, 2022
Banchero #1 by Magic
Williams #15 by Hornets
Griffin #16 by Hawks
Moore #26 by Dallas
Keels #42 by Knicks
Duke's previous draft record for selections was 4 ('86, '99, '17, '18)#DukeMBBStats
It ended up being a night of history for the program, as five players were selected in the first 42 picks. Two of them were back-to-back outside the lottery in Mark Williams (Charlotte) and AJ Griffin (Atlanta) at 15 and 16 respective. Wendell Moore was picked at the end of the first round at 26 by Houston, while freshman Trevor Keels is going to the New York Knicks at 42.
No other program can claim the amount of pro success as Duke, with maybe Kentucky able to compare when it comes to college-to-pro success. But will all of these Blue Devils succeed at their new respective spots? Here’s a closer look at what to expect for these now-former Duke stars as they start their pro careers in the NBA.