NBA Draft Scouting Report: Duke's Dariq Whitehead
Dariq Whitehead
Wing | Duke
Height: 6'6" | Weight: 190 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 18.88
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Entering his freshman season at Duke, Dariq Whitehead had extremely high expectations. He was arguably the top player in his high school class last season, showing off a unique blend of explosiveness and size. It's rare to see such a great athlete be so smooth with the ball in his hands.
Not only does Whitehead have good positional size, but he's also got a solid wingspan. As such, he should be able to guard multiple positions at the next level. He's got the tools to be a really good defender at the college and NBA level, but we'll see what he looks like early this season with an increase in the level of competition.
When it comes to scoring, the 6-foot-6 wing has no problem getting to the rim and finishing through contact. He's also got a smooth jumper, although his release is somewhat slow at this point. If he's going to reach his ceiling as a shooter, he'll likely need to get the ball off quicker. With that in mind, Whitehead does have a high release point and good elevation, which should play to his advantage. He's also shown flashes of scoring in the midrange as well.
Entering his freshman season at Duke, there was no question that Whitehead was more than likely going to be a one-and-done prospect. While that's still the case, he wasn't as good as we expected. This was mostly due to injuries and never being able to get into a groove, but it certainly wasn't a dominant freshman campaign for the wing. He ended up starting in just seven games and played just over 20 minutes per contest.
If there's one thing he did show that will improve his chance of being selected early in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, it's the perimeter shooting as he knocked down almost 43% of his triples on high volume.
The 2022 Naismith Boy's High School Player of the Year, Whitehead simply dominated his competition in his final high school season. He's mentally prepared to play on the biggest stage with an extreme amount of confidence that he's the best player any time he takes the floor. While he isn't a primary facilitator today, he does also have the ability to pass well for his position.
His brother, Tahir Whitehead, has been in the NFL for the past decade as a linebacker. The Duke wing was a football standout himself before committing to basketball full time and is ready for the NBA from a physical standpoint. The New Jersey native has played basketball at the highest level for a while now, which should make his transition to college and then to the NBA that much easier.
Whitehead played for Montverde Academy in high school, which is one of the top schools in the country. As an underclassman, he had the chance to play on the same team as several current NBA players such as Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody, DayRon Sharpe and RJ Barrett.
During his senior season, Whitehead led Montverde to win the 2022 GEICO Nationals and put on a show in the championship game.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Mid First-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Pro Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
For a free account and access to Cerebro Sports, the largest Basketball Player Database in the world, sign up here.