Seven ACC players, five from Duke, selected in 2022 NBA Draft

Seven Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball players were chosen Thursday evening in the 2022 NBA Draft, which was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Six ACC players were selected in the first round, the most of any league. The ACC’s draft contingent was led by Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero, who was the No. 1 overall selection by the Orlando Magic. Banchero is the ACC’s 12th NBA No. 1 draft pick, most of any conference.

Duke sophomore center Mark Williams (No. 15 overall, Charlotte), Duke freshman guard AJ Griffin (No. 16, Atlanta), Wake Forest junior forward Jake LaRavia (No. 19, Minnesota), Notre Dame freshman guard Blake Wesley (No. 25, San Antonio) and Duke junior forward Wendell Moore Jr. (No. 26, Houston) also were selected in the first round.

The ACC has now had at least three first-round draft picks in each of the last 14 drafts – the only conference to do so. The ACC extended its streak with at least one first-round selection to 34 consecutive years, dating to the 1989 draft.

Over the last nine drafts (2014-22), the ACC leads all conferences with 55 first-round selections. The ACC now has had 32 top 14 selections over the last 13 years and since 1996 leads all conferences with 57 lottery selections.

Duke freshman guard Trevor Keels was picked in the second round (42nd overall) by the New York Knicks.

Four Duke players were selected in the first round, tying a program record and marking just the fourth time an ACC program has had four first-round draft picks (Duke 1999, UNC 2005, UNC 2012). The Blue Devils’ total of five selections in the 2022 draft was the most of any school this year.

ACC in the 2022 NBA Draft

Round/Selection, Player, NBA Team

1/1, Paolo Banchero (Duke), Orlando

1/15, Mark Williams (Duke), Charlotte

1/16, AJ Griffin (Duke), Atlanta

1/19, Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest), Minnesota (proposed trade to Memphis)

1/25, Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), San Antonio

1/26, Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke), Houston (proposed trade to Minnesota)

2/42, Trevor Keels (Duke), New York