Who will be the highest-picked Duke basketball player in this year’s draft?
Perusing mock drafts, it’s clear three Duke basketball products are likely to hear their names on Oct. 16 in Brooklyn. However, it’s still not at all clear in which of the two rounds, or in which order, Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr., and Cassius Stanley will come off the board.
Also unclear is the date of the 2020 NBA Draft Combine, though Jones, Carey Jr., and Stanley are among the 150 names who received invites (not the case for Duke grads Justin Robinson, Jack White, and Javin DeLaurier). It could take place in a few weeks, following the Aug. 20 NBA Draft Lottery, but the league has yet to say. Naturally, how the Blue Devils fare there could significantly affect their stocks.
Odds are, regardless, at least one of Jones, Carey Jr., and Stanley will be a first-round selection. That said, the mock draft on Tuesday from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report sees zero Dukies as first-rounders this time around.
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But let’s instead dive into five other mock drafts, each of which provides picks for both rounds and includes all three of Jones, Carey Jr., and Stanley. Working our way from last to first among Duke’s three departing underclassmen, for each one, we’ll average the five projections, throw in a brief scouting report, check out some highlights, factor in Ball Durham opinions, and then predict when they’ll walk across the stage (virtually speaking, that is)…