Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball One-And-Done Becomes Jon Scheyer's First NBA Product

Dereck Lively II shall forever be the first first-rounder of Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer era.

Matt Giles

Duke Basketball One-And-Done Becomes Jon Scheyer's First NBA Product
Duke Basketball One-And-Done Becomes Jon Scheyer's First NBA Product /
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The Duke basketball program entered Thursday night with 53 first-round selections to its name in NBA Draft history.

Add at least one more to that list this year, as one-and-done Blue Devil center Dereck Lively II came off the board at No. 12 overall to the Dallas Mavericks (via an announced trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder).

He's the Blue Devils' 107th all-time draft pick in any round and NCAA-leading 30th all-time lottery pick.

RELATED: List of Duke's All-Time First-Round Draft Picks

And Lively, who arrived in Durham last summer at No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite as one of seven members of Jon Scheyer's first recruiting class, will now go down in the history books as the first of the 35-year-old head coach's players — not counting all the talents Scheyer coached as a Duke assistant — to be drafted.

Although a calf injury in October caused Dereck Lively II to struggle to find his role early in his lone Blue Devil campaign, the 7-foot-1, 230-pound Philadelphia native emerged down the stretch for the ACC Tournament champs as a full-time starter and one of the nation's most formidable rim protectors.

He averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 boards, and 2.4 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game.

If Lively develops more post moves and bulks up a bit, the long-limbed, light-footed 19-year-old should have a chance to see consistent playing time as a Mavericks rookie.

Now, Duke has seen at least one freshman drafted in 10 straight years and 22 first-round picks overall since 2014. 

Another Duke basketball one-and-done, small forward Dariq Whitehead, is a projected late first-rounder. But unlike Lively, he was not among the 25 invites to the green room in Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

RELATED: List of Every Blue Devil Currently in the NBA

Whitehead had not yet heard his name at the time of this article's publishing.

UPDATE: Roughly an hour later, Whitehead went No. 22 overall to the Brooklyn Nets.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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