Duke University has one of the most well-known college basketball programs in the entirety of the United States, and there’s no doubt that they often produce NBA-caliber players.
The program’s ability to develop NBA-caliber prospects was on full display in the 2022 NBA Draft, where 4 players from Duke University ended up as first-round picks in the NBA Draft, Obviously, the most well-known name is Paolo Banchero, but Mark Williams, AJ Griffin, and Wendell Moore Jr. all ended up getting picked, with the No. 15, No. 16, and No. 26 picks respectively.
Duke had 4 (!!!) 1st-Round picks in tonight’s draft. 🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 24, 2022
There is no doubt that for any university to have that many first-round picks in any given draft is insane. Then again, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, as Duke has developed some elite players such as Kyrie Irving and Brandon Ingram. They have always been good at getting players to the NBA, and that likely won’t change anytime soon.
Paolo Banchero is the best Duke player in this draft, and he deservedly went No. 1 overall. He could be the elite big man that they’re missing currently, and he, Franz Wagner, and Cole Anthony comprise a young core that could be dangerous in the years to come.
Hopefully, we see all of these new NBA players from Duke succeed in the league. Mark Williams could potentially be the center that the Charlotte Hornets needed. AJ Griffin is an elite shooter that will work well with Trae Young, while Wendell Moore was a solid two-way player in college.
Obviously, there’s no guarantee that these players succeeding at Duke means that they will succeed in the NBA. However, getting to the NBA as a first-round draft pick in itself is a win for a prospect, as that means one has become a professional athlete that is set to earn millions of dollars and for a program to have 4 professional players shows just how good the program is.
