The Duke basketball team is preparing for a monster week in New York City as five Blue Devils are hoping to hear their names called in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Three are guarantees to be drafted, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, and each will likely be picked very early into Wednesday night’s (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN) first round as projected Top 10 picks.
However, the starting backcourt for the Blue Devils, Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, are also hoping to be selected although both are currently projected to be second round picks.
Still, the higher profile Duke draft prospects have not lost sight on what the program could accomplish at the draft.
“That would be awesome,” Knueppel said about the idea of having five Duke players drafted. “I think that’s something very likely to happen and hopefully it pans out that way.”
The Blue Devils also had five players picked in 2022, headlined by Paolo Banchero as the No. 1 overall pick. This year, Duke will have its first top selection since Banchero in Cooper Flagg.
Mark Williams, A.J. Griffin Jr., Wendell Moore, and Trevor Keels were also drafted that season.
“That would be incredible. That’s what I’m hoping to see happen over the next couple days…I think everyone deserves it, the five of us,” Flagg explained of the possibility.
Kentucky in 2012 had the most players selected in the NBA Draft with six players.
“It would be great for our entire starting five to be drafted,” Khaman Maluach said.
“All of us earned it, all of us worked so hard for this opportunity and I believe all of us will make it and I’m happy for them and their families and I’m so proud of them because they put in the work to be able to have this great opportunity.”
It’s only a matter of time before the Blue Devils take center stage at the Barclays Center.