Five members of the 2021-22 Duke men’s basketball team have been invited to attend the Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine from May 18-20, the league announced today.
Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, Trevor Keels, Wendell Moore Jr., and Mark Williams are listed among the 76 players expected to attend the annual combine held at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. Players will participate in interviews with NBA teams and be evaluated in shooting, strength and agility drills as well as five-on-five games. The combine serves as an important step for both players and teams in preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on Thursday, June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Coverage of the Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. on ESPNews.
Duke’s five invitees are the most among any college program at this year’s combine, leading Gonzaga (four) and Arizona (three).
Duke has had at least one player selected in each of the last 11 NBA Drafts, with multiple Blue Devils taken nine times in that span. In 2019, Duke joined Florida as the only college programs in NBA Draft history to have three players chosen in the top 10 of a single draft (Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish). Jalen Johnson was selected 20th overall in the 2021 draft by the Atlanta Hawks, marking the Blue Devils’ 101st all-time pick and 42nd first-round choice in the lottery era.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who retired following the 2021-22 season, has coached a total of 68 NBA Draft picks since taking over the Duke program in 1980-81. The 28 lottery picks that have come from Duke during his tenure are more than any team or coach in college basketball history.
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