Duke’s latest NBA Draft haul was solid rather than spectacular, but it still underscored the same thing the Blue Devils keep proving: under Jon Scheyer, the pipeline to the league is running as smoothly as ever.
At the conclusion of Wednesday's 2026 NBA Draft, Duke had three players selected to the NBA: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Maliq Brown. All three players landed in the Western Conference: Boozer to the Grizzlies, Evans to the Timberwolves and Brown to the Spurs. Boozer led the group by going third overall.
That made this an ordinary kind of night for a program that has turned draft night into routine business. It wasn’t the kind of all-time splash Duke has had in other years, when Cam Reddish, Zion Williamson, and RJ Barrett were all drafted high in the first round, or when Cooper Flagg went first overall. But even a “normal” draft for Duke still looks a lot different from what most programs can produce.
The bigger takeaway is Scheyer’s track record. Since he took over as head coach, he has developed 12 draft picks, three more than any other school.
UConn and Kentucky are next with nine. Boozer’s selection also extended Duke’s streak to 13 straight seasons with a freshman picked in the NBA Draft.
No other school has a streak longer than two seasons.
That kind of output is why the conversation around Scheyer keeps getting louder. Some will point to the resources Duke has and argue the results should come with the territory. But the gap between Duke and everyone else keeps showing up in the draft, and that’s hard to dismiss.
In Other News...
Nina King Has Duke Winning In A Way Fans Can't Ignore
Dukes recent run across its biggest sports has kept Nina King in the spotlight, and the numbers help explain why. After moving up from senior deputy director to athletic director, King has overseen a department that keeps showing up near the top of the national conversation, with CBS Sports ranking the Blue Devils within the top 20 Power Four schools for the 2025-26 academic year based on conference titles and postseason berths.
Just as important for Dukes long-term outlook, King has built a reputation for creating a place that draws in high-level coaches in football, mens basketball and womens basketball. The combination has given the Blue Devils a steady competitive edge across the board, and it has made her one of the more influential figures in the ACC even as the programs biggest decisions continue to carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duke Standout Theo Winegar Wins At Wimbledon
Theo Winegars rise on the pro doubles circuit keeps finding new stages, and Wimbledon is the latest one. The former Duke standout, who recently graduated and earned All-America recognition in Durham, has pushed his way into the ATP doubles top 100 and has started to look right at home in bigger draws, teaming with veteran Jean-Julien Rojer in London.
Their opening-round win over Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus moved them into the second round, where a much tougher test awaits against the No. 9 seeded duo of Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. For Duke followers, it is another reminder that Winegars transition from college star to tour regular is still gathering speed, and Wimbledon now gets to see how far it can go. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Boozer Just Gave Duke Fans Another Reason To Feel Validated
Cameron Boozer left Duke with the kind of freshman season that tends to reassure everyone involved: elite production, major honors and a clear sense that he belonged on the biggest stage in college basketball. He piled up 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, earned All-American recognition and took home the Naismith College Player of the Year award, all while helping push Duke to a 35-3 record and an Elite Eight run.
Now, at his introductory press conference, Boozer was already sounding like a player who sees the college stop as more than just a bridge to the next level. He expressed confidence in his NBA readiness and pointed to both his Duke experience and his high school background as reasons for that belief, another reminder that the Blue Devils' recent pipeline continues to do exactly what fans hope it will. [Read more 🡒]