The 2010 NBA Draft will be an unusual one for Duke.
In contrast to the tremendous hype that has preceded some Blue Devil draft classes, this year’s chatter has been understated. It’s commonly recognized that June 24, 2010, will be nothing like June 30, 1999, for Duke. In the latter draft, Elton Brand was picked first, and Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette and William Avery followed in the next 13 selections. This year’s draft will also be a far cry from the 2002 edition, when Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer all were selected in the first 35 picks.
Still, this year, all signs point to two Blue Devils being picked in the second round, and one, who has participated in off-season workouts, possibly being signed as a free agent.
And six months ago no one could have predicted the player who will likely be the first Blue Devil taken off the board.
Yes, according to most mock drafts, Brian Zoubek will be first draft pick to come from Duke next Thursday night. The 7-foot-1 center, with a career average of 4.2 points per game and two major foot injuries under his belt, currently sits at 52nd on ESPN writer Chad Ford’s big board, and has become a virtual lock to be selected in the second round.
“Brian’s going to get drafted,” ESPN analyst and Duke graduate Jay Bilas said. “I think he’s come a long way in that he got healthy and is playing the way I think people thought he would play all along.... I think he can come in as a back-up big guy in the NBA and make a difference right away.”
Zoubek hadn't started a game in the 2009-2010 season until February 16 when, against eventual ACC co-champion Maryland, he scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Duke went 15-1 with him in the starting lineup, and the center became the most statistically effective offensive rebounder in the country. Now it looks like he’ll be rewarded with an NBA Draft pick.
“I firmly expect him to be picked in the middle part of the second round,” said Matt Kamalsky, who writes for Draftexpress.com. “Those offensive rebounding numbers that he put up in the second part of the season, it’s incredible…. And, to come back from what he came from, they’re a product of hard work.”
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski also thinks the big man will do well in the league—after all, the coach saw the work he did in the lead-up to Indianapolis.
“There’s no way we win the national championship without Brian,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s confident, knows the game. I think he’ll do fine [in the NBA].”
Zoubek participated in the last draft combine of the year in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 11 in front of 23 NBA teams. He said at the time that he “never could have expected this.”
“It’s been an unbelievable year for me,” he said. “I feel so blessed to be in this position and to finally be able to show people what I thought I could do the whole time.”
Jon Scheyer is the other senior likely to be drafted. Ranking 61st on Ford’s board, Scheyer’s stock has slipped somewhat after he contracted mononucleosis and could not perform at the Chicago draft combine.
He still participated in the measurements at the camp, coming in at a surprising 6-foot-6 in height with shoes on. And in the weeks since then, he has participated in smaller workouts, proving, according to Kamalsky, that he’s recovered well from his illness.
“He’s shown what he needed to show,” Kamalsky said. “He’s never going to wow anybody with his athleticism, but he showed up in the workouts and shot the ball well while coming back from mono.”
Associate head coach Chris Collins said that those in the NBA like his game, despite the critics who point to a lack of athletic ability compared to others in the league.
“People who watch college basketball all have a great respect for his game,” Collins said. “They respect his ability to do a lot of things out there—his ability as a clutch player, saving his best moments for the end of games.”
“Jon is somebody that, as soon as you coach him, you say, ‘Okay, I gotta have that kid,’” Krzyzewski added. “He’s just a good basketball player.”
If the NBA doesn’t pan out for Scheyer, there is another option, made possible by his Jewish ancestry. He can claim dual citizenship with the United States and Israel, making him very valuable to European teams that will only take a certain number of American players.
Scheyer has not publicly commented on the European option, choosing instead this past month to focus on his draft status. However, Collins—who played professionally in Finland—said Scheyer could do far worse than playing overseas.
“I know a lot of teams over there are really clamoring to try to sign him,” Collins said. “[Europe] is a very attractive situation. If the NBA doesn’t work out, he has the ability to go over there and make a lot of money playing.”
Bilas, who played for teams in Spain and Italy after his time at Duke, echoed Collins’ sentiment.
“Playing overseas oftentimes you can make more money,” Bilas said. “It might be a good option to play over there for a while and then come back here.... The NBA scouts over there just as much as over here now.”
Lance Thomas, Duke’s final senior, is not expected to be drafted. However, the Scotch Plains, N.J., native did participate in workouts with his hometown New Jersey Nets.
Kamalsky feels that Thomas’ high school pedigree ensures that he’ll get a chance with an NBA team.
“I think Lance will get a look in the summer leagues, just because of how highly touted he was coming out of high school,” he said. “He’ll have the opportunity [to play in the NBA] more so than any other guy not projected to be drafted.”
While the hype of years past may be lacking this time around, one thing is for sure—June 24 will be a pivotal day in the lives of Zoubek, Scheyer and Thomas, even if the splendor of the first round does not necessarily await them.
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