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Duke Sets an NBA Draft Record with Paolo Banchero Among Five Blue Devils Selected

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Basketball

Duke men's basketball enjoyed a record-setting night at the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center as five Blue Devils heard their names called, headlined by the overall No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero to the Orlando Magic.

The Blue Devils' program-record five draftees also included Mark Williams at No. 15 overall by the Charlotte Hornets, AJ Griffin at No. 16 by the Atlanta Hawks, Wendell Moore Jr., at No. 26 by the Dallas Mavericks and Trevor Keels at No. 42 by the New York Knicks. Duke's four first-rounders matched a program record for a single draft set in 1999.

No other ACC team has produced five or more selections in a single draft since the draft went to just two rounds in 1989.

Banchero is the fifth Blue Devil to be drafted with the first pick as Duke extends its lead with the most No. 1 selections by a college program all-time. The Seattle, Wash., native joins Art Heyman in 1963, Elton Brand in 1999, Kyrie Irving in 2011 and Zion Williamson in 2019 as the Blue Devils to be drafted first overall. He becomes the 10th top-two pick in Duke history, the 17th Blue Devil to be selected in the top three, the 19th in the top five and 27th in the top 10. Duke has produced a top-three selection in seven of the last nine NBA Drafts.

Among the most prolific college basketball programs in generating NBA Draft picks, Duke now boasts 106 overall selections – one of just four college programs all-time to surpass 100 picks. Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who retired from coaching following the 2021-22 season, has mentored 46 first-rounders and 29 Lottery picks. No college program nor coach has produced more Lottery picks than Duke's 29.

Duke's previous single-draft record for selections was four, set four times -- 1986, 1999, 2017 and 2018. The 1999 draft saw Duke become the first college program in NBA history to boast four first-rounders as Elton Brand went No. 1 overall to Chicago, Trajan Langdon No. 11 to Cleveland, Corey Maggette No. 13 to Seattle and Will Avery No. 14 to Minnesota.

Dating back to 1956, Duke has had three or more players selected in 12 different NBA Drafts. The Blue Devils have also had at least one first-round selection in 11 of the past 12 years.
 
Duke in the Draft

  • Duke has produced a total of 106 NBA Draft picks all-time.
  • Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has coached a total of 73 NBA Draft picks since taking over the Duke program in 1980-81.
  • The Blue Devils have had at least one player selected in 23 of the last 25 NBA Drafts, including 38 first-round picks in that time.
  • Duke has had at least one player taken in 35 of the 42 NBA Drafts in the Krzyzewski Era.
  • Banchero becomes the fifth Duke player drafted No. 1 overall, joining Art Heyman (1963, NY Knicks), Elton Brand (1999, Chicago), Kyrie Irving (2011, Cleveland) and Zion Williamson (2019, New Orleans).
  • Banchero is the second Blue Devil selected by the Orlando Magic franchise, joining J.J. Redick (11th overall in 2006).
  • Williams becomes the first Duke player drafted No. 15 overall.
  • Williams is the fourth Blue Devil selected by the Charlotte Hornets franchise, joining Gerald Henderson (12th overall in 2009), Frank Jackson (31st overall in 2017) and Vernon Carey Jr., (32nd overall in 2020).
  • Griffin becomes the first Blue Devil drafted No. 16 overall.
  • Griffin is the fifth Duke player selected by the Atlanta Hawks franchise, joining Roshown McLeod (20th overall in 1998), Shelden Williams (fifth overall in 2006), Cam Reddish (10th overall in 2019) and Jalen Johnson (20th overall in 2021).
  • Moore becomes the third Blue Devil drafted No. 26 overall
  • Moore is the fourth player drafted by the Mavericks, joining Jay Bilas (108th overall in 1986), Phil Henderson (49th overall in 1990) and Cherokee Parks (12th overall) in 1995
  • Moore's draft rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves following the pick.
  • Keels becomes the first Blue Devil drafted No. 42 overall.
  • Keels is the fifth Blue Devil selected by the New York Knicks, joining Ronnie Mayer (in 1956), Art Heyman 1st overall in 1963), Vince Taylor (34th overall) in 1982 and RJ Barrett (3rd overall) in 2019.
  • Duke players have been selected by 29 of the 30 current NBA franchises, with only the Toronto Raptors having never drafted a Blue Devil.
  • The franchise to have drafted the most Blue Devils is Detroit with nine, followed by seven for Chicago, six each for Golden State and Boston and five for Atlanta and New York.

 
Duke in the First Round

  • Duke's 50 first-round selections in the Common Draft era (since 1966) are third most all-time, including 43 under Coach K.
  • Duke's 46 first-round selections in the Lottery era (since 1985) are the second most in the country, behind Kentucky's 47.
  • Coach K's 46 first-round picks are the most by a college coach in the history of the NBA Draft.
  • Duke has produced five No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft, the most in draft history.
  • Duke's four No. 1 pick in the Common Draft era (since 1966) are also the most in NBA history.
  • Duke has produced eight top-three picks since 2014 -- six more than any other program in that span.
  • Duke's 29 NBA lottery picks – all coached by Coach K – are the most by both a college program and college coach.
  • An NCAA-leading 24 lottery selections have come from Duke since 1999, when the Blue Devils had three.
  • In the Lottery Era (since 1985), Duke has produced 15 top-three picks; the next-closest total nationally is five (Kentucky).
  • Duke's 18 top-10 picks since 2000 are the most in the nation in that timeframe, four more than Kentucky (14).
  • The Blue Devils have produced 21 first-round picks in the last nine years: Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley III, Paolo Banchero, RJ Barrett, Wendell Carter Jr., Harry Giles, AJ Griffin, Rodney Hood, Brandon Ingram, Jalen Johnson, Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, Wendell Moore, Jr., Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, Mason Plumlee, Cam Reddish, Jayson Tatum, Mark Williams, Zion Williamson and Justise Winslow.
  • Twenty-one of Duke's last 27 NBA Draft picks, and 28 of the last 36, have come in the first round, including 17 lottery picks.