Mike Krzyzewski held plenty of records when he decided to hang it up and retire following the 2021-22 season. One of those records fell during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
When Arkansas guard Darius Acuff was selected with the No. 7 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings, it broke a tie between John Calipari and Coach K for the most lottery picks from a single coach, per ESPN insights:
Darius Acuff Jr. is the 30th lottery pick to play for John Calipari, passing Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski for the most lottery picks coached. pic.twitter.com/JMa9g01i7p
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) June 24, 2026
John Calipari moves past Coach K in total lottery picks coached
Technically, Coach K has coached 31 "top 14" picks, which would encapsulate the current lottery system, but Cherokee Parks (1995) and William Avery (1999) don't technically count as lottery picks. Parks was selected 12th overall in the 1995 draft, and there were only 11 "lottery" teams. Avery was selected 14th overall in the 1999 draft, with 13 teams qualifying for the lottery.
For the first stretch of his career, Krzyzewski wasn't known for producing a high number of pros. He had a different recruiting strategy. Over the back half, he shifted that philosophy and started going after the one-and-done types that Calipari has always prioritized. It completely changed Duke's NBA footprint, producing the likes of Kyrie Irving, Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero, among others.
14 of Coach K's 29 "lottery" picks during his time at Duke came from 2011 and on.
That change in philosophy has continued under Jon Scheyer, who could be a threat to ultimately re-take this record back from Duke down the road if he sticks around for the long haul and resists the NBA temptation. Scheyer has already produced five lottery picks with Derek Lively, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, and, most recently, Cameron Boozer, who was the No. 3 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
After signing four 5-star recruits in the 2026 recruiting class, Scheyer should have several more lottery picks on the way in the next couple of NBA Drafts.
Calipari might hold the NBA Draft lottery record now, but he'll never catch up with Coach K's national championships.
Krzyzewski won five national titles at Duke, producing title teams in different eras in Durham. The biggest knock against Calipari is that he's only won the one national title, cutting down the nets with Kentucky in 2012 thanks to transcendent superstar Anthony Davis.
Perhaps Coach Cal can get another at Arkansas - he's certainly bringing in enough talent to do so - but he'll never catch up with the number that matters the most.
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