Seven ACC stars selected in 2022 NBA Draft

BROOKLYN, NY — Seven ACC players were selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night in Brooklyn.

This marks the first time five ACC players were selected in the first round since the 2019 NBA Draft. The Duke Blue Devils had four players selected in the first round, tying a program record set in 1999.

PF Paolo Banchero (Duke), 1st Overall to the Orlando Magic

The Magic shocked most NBA fans with this selection after weeks of reports speculated that Orlando would take Auburn F Jabari Smith with this first pick. Nonetheless, I believe Banchero will be an absolute star in this league someday. Banchero’s ball handling and elite shot creation are remarkable for someone with his frame. The 6’10”, 250-pound forward immediately becomes Orlando’s franchise player and hopefully, the missing piece to get the ball rolling toward coveted postseason success.

C Mark Williams (Duke), 15th Overall to the Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets were badly in need of a big man entering the draft and were always projected to go after Williams or Memphis’ Jalen Duren. Charlotte now has a 7-footer for the future who will immediately impact with his crazy 7’7 wingspan and high motor around the rim. Williams was the only player in the NCAA last season to shoot 70 percent from both the field and the free throw line. Williams serves as a lob threat for the Hornets and franchise star Lamelo Ball as well, getting comparisons to Atlanta’s Clint Capela.

F AJ Griffin (Duke), 16th Overall to the Atlanta Hawks

Griffin has a nice shooting stroke and huge frame that will be critical to the spacing and defense around Hawks star Trae Young. Atlanta was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in this year’s playoffs and now gets added depth from Griffin who shot 45 percent from beyond the arc last season at Duke. Despite a few injury concerns coming out of High School, I believe Griffin has the tools to be an impact defensively as well and take on stronger forwards on the defensive end.

F Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest), 19th Overall to the Memphis Grizzlies

LaRavia is a great fit for Memphis as he provides high-level defensive prowess and reliable shooting out of the gate. LaRavia joins the sixth-rated defense in the NBA and one of the best three-point shooting teams in this past postseason. Last season at Wake Forest, the 6’8” forward shot nearly 40 percent from downtown and stripped two steals a game. The Grizzlies’ front office should be solid with this pick.

G Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), 25th Overall to the San Antonio Spurs

The untapped potential of Wesley is what attracted San Antonio to take him in in the late round. The 6’5” guard did not have the best shooting splits this past year at Notre Dame but has the potential to improve as a jump shooter at the next level. Most importantly, Wesley’s explosiveness and defensive prowess is what may separate himself from the rest of the pack. Wesley has shown the tools and motor to be a brilliant one-on-one defender and is quick enough on the offensive end to blow past bigger defenders on switches. He has tremendous upside as a scorer who can make simple reads and defend multiple positions, but it might take some patience to help him reach his full potential.

G Wendell Moore (Duke), 26th Overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves

With defenses keyed in on Paolo Banchero last season at Duke, Moore shot an impressive 41 percent from three and 54.4 percent on twos. Moore also rose to the occasion as a solid secondary playmaker several times throughout the year for Duke. While Moore has upside as a scorer and playmaker, defensively he still needs some work.

G Trevor Keels (Duke), 42nd Overall to the New York Knicks

The Knicks only selected one player on draft night and that was ACC All-Rookie Team member Trevor Keels. In his only season at Duke, Keels averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 42 percent shooting from the field. The five-star high school recruit’s 6’4” 225 pound frame will be a plus, but his outside shot and ball handling skills will need to get more consistent to be a factor at the next level.