As some predicted, Duke guard Austin Rivers was selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th pick of tonight’s NBA Draft. The Hornets were in need of a scoring guard and that is exactly what they got.

Rivers was the second selection by the rebuilding Hornets. They selected Anthony Davis with the number one pick of the night.

When his name was called, Rivers hugged every family member at his table, leaving his father for last. They embraced and Doc told Austin that he was ready.

The Hornets play his father’s team, the Boston Celtics, two times a season. Doc has said that Austin will go scoreless. Austin wants his dad to do well, just not against him. Should be something to look forward to.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers shocked many, as they selected Miles Plumlee with the 26th pick. Many took to Twitter to criticize the Pacers, but Larry Bird isn’t known to make the sexy or expected pick (this is Bird’s final draft as team president).

Bird feels that Plumlee’s play fits in with what the team already has. The Pacers focus on defense and rebuiling, which is a Miles specialty (if he stays out of foul trouble). Miles hustles all the time, plays hard, and dives for loose balls, which impressed the Pacers. They also expect him to be a fan-favorite (he was born in Indiana).

The Pacers were looking to replace the retired Jeff Foster and scouts picked Plumlee as his clone. The Pacers have done well in recent drafts, despite taking criticism for each pick.

Plumlee will join former Tarheel Tyler Hansbrough in Indiana.

The NBA Draft is tomorrow night (Thursday, June 28th) and Duke has the potential to have two players drafted in the first round.

The Blue Devils only lost two players from this past season’s team: one to graduation and one freshman to leaving early (along with a transfer).

Freshman guard Austin Rivers left after a freshman year that was up-and-down. He was an intriguing talent, but still has more areas to improve. His pure scoring ability showed off during the pre-draft workouts.

His dad, Doc Rivers, is the head coach for the Boston Celtics. He will not be in the draft war room, instead attending the draft in New Jersey with his soon-to-be drafted son. The Celtics have two picks in the first round (21, 22), but many don’t expect Rivers to drop that far.

I have heard that the Philadelphia Sixers are interested (they have the 15th pick) and they really could use an explosive guard.

Rivers himself always dreamed of playing for San Antonio, but they have the 59th pick. He does however want to grow into the NBA much like Spurs guard Tony Parker has.

Some mock drafts have Rivers going as high as 11th to Portland. If he can become a good point guard (like Russell Westbrook, who he wants to be like), he could be a steal in the draft. Portland’s two main guards may test free agency.

» Continue reading “Can Two Blue Devils Go in First Round?”

Duke big man Mason Plumlee announced on Twitter this afternoon that he will be staying at Duke for his senior season. Obviously, his teammates are thrilled.

I didn’t expect his announcement to come this quickly, but how much longer can you agonize over the decision?

Honestly, either choice for him was going to be a good one.

• Head to the NBA Draft and hopefully make some money.
• Stay at Duke, get his degree, and maybe win another National Championship.

I’m excited to see what Mason and his Blue Devil teammates can do during the 2012-2013 season. Let him know how you feel (@masonplumlee).

After the announcement that Duke guard Austin Rivers was leaving after just one season for the NBA, an announcement by junior Mason Plumlee was also expected.

Well, according to his father, Mason’s struggling with the decision. The middle Plumlee isn’t just a good basketball player; he’s a scholar athlete. Mason was named a Capital One Academic All-America first team selection this year. He has a 3.44 GPA while majoring in both psychology and cultural anthropology.

The NCAA set a deadline of April 10th (today) for players to decide whether to stay in the NBA Draft. The NBA says the deadline is April 29th. Most likely, Mason will need the time leading up to April 29th to make his decision.

This past season, which ended with the disappointing upset to Lehigh in the NCAA Tournament, Mason averaged 11 points and nine rebounds a game.

He is projected to be picked in the NBA Draft between 20 and 30 in the first round. Could he become a lottery pick? Sure, but not this year. There is just too much size that has already declared for the draft.

Mason could become a lottery pick next season, especially if Quinn Cook is healthy and can become the point guard everyone hopes he can be. He will have a chance to play with his younger brother Marshall. He could also earn his degree.

Or he could get hurt. He could have a terrible season. He could touch the ball less than he did this season. His rebounding could be worse than it was during the second half of this season. All which would drop his NBA Draft stock.

I honestly think he could become a great player during his senior season at Duke. He could become a super star. That would most likely lead to a high pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

Will he go number one or will Derrick Williams of Arizona be selected number one? That has been the question many have posed in regards to former Duke guard Kyrie Irving. Expect to hear his name called within the first few minutes of the NBA Draft, which begins at 7pm ET on ESPN tonight.

Forward Kyle Singler and guard Nolan Smith, two more former Duke basketball players, hope to also hear their names called early by NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Keep it here for live updates on the NBA Draft and where your favorite Dukies are headed next.

What a shocker! Kyrie Irving is selected number one by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Via @dukeblueplanet on Twitter:

“Kyrie is looking all fresh with a classic dark blue suit and Duke blue tie as he’s announced as the first pick of 2011 draft.”

Doug Gottlieb feels that the Cavs made the best choice in picking Irving because he can PLAY basketball and he LOVES to play the game. Kyrie is the second straight point guard selected with the first pick (John Wall last season).

Joining Irving in Cleveland will be the 4th pick, Tristan Thompson from Texas.

Nolan Smith was selected by the Portland TrailBlazers with the 21st pick. They are an upstart team (and I’m excited to see him team up with Patty Mills). The all-around good guy received lots of Twitter love, from fans, former teammates, and Duke media members.

The third and final eligible Blue Devils draft pick, Kyle Singler, went in the second round (33rd overall) to the Detroit Pistons. I had heard the San Antonio Spurs were interested, but they snagged Corey Joseph of Texas with their 29th pick.

I’ll have more quotes and reaction up sometime tomorrow (or should I say later today since it’s after midnight here on the East Coast).

He is now a former Duke forward, but Kyle Singler was invited to the NBA Draft combine. Singler has been invited to work out for the Portland Trailblazers about a week before the draft. It’s important to note that Singler is an Oregon native. He has also been traveling all over the country, working out for NBA teams.

NBADraft.net, in their mock draft, has Singler going to the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The Spurs usually don’t have a high pick because they are normally one of the better teams in the NBA and they usually select a solid collegiate player (ie DeJuan Blair).

Check out more Singler news;

Trailblazers to bring Oregon high school great Kyle Singler in for workout OregonLive.com

Oklahoma City Thunder to Draft Duke’s Kyle Singler? TheSportsBank.net

Duke’s Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler face uncertain draft status The Fast Break

Kyle Singler and 5 Prospects Who Could Help LeBron James Bleacher Report

Singler says Duke stay was a help newsobserver.com

Singler, Delaney move on from prolific college careers The Washington Post

Kyle Singler part of group of latest Nets draft workout… NJ.com

He is now a former Duke guard, but Nolan Smith was invited to the NBA combine. The big thing that Smith has to prove is that his game can translate to the next level. He has been traveling all over the country to show NBA teams his talents.

NBADraft.net had Smith going to the LA Clippers with the 37th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft in their mock draft. As of now (June 14th), they have Smith moved all the way up to the 24th overall pick, going to the OKC Thunder. He would look great with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Check out more Smith news:

Nolan Smith Will Struggle to Find Role in NBA Sport Shots

For Duke’s Nolan Smith, it’s all about ‘the switch’ FayObserver.com

Nolan Smith Knows How to Compete newsobserver.com

Duke’s Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler face uncertain draft status The Fast Break

Upper Marlboro Star Prepares for NBA Draft Upper Marlboro Patch

Nolan Smith and the 5 Most Overlooked Players in the Draft Bleacher Report

Nolan Smith brings strong local ties to workout The Washington Post

Nolan Smith has a Knicks advanced degree ESPN NewYork

The NBA Draft will occur on June 23rd in NJ. Three former Duke Blue Devils are expected to be drafted, with point guard Kyrie Irving expected to be selected either number one or two. However Irving has decided not to work out at the combine and will only work out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the first pick, once. Doctors believe that Irving’s toe (which seems to get a lot of attention) should be fine.

In NBADraft.net‘s mock draft, they had Irving being selected number two by the Minnesota Twins (I can imagine him dishing to Kevin Love), with Arizona forward Derrick Williams being taken number one by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now (as of June 14th) they have Irving being selected number one by the Cavs.

Check out more Kyrie news:

Kyrie Irving: Why Cavaliers Need to Take Closer Look at Irving During Workout Sport Shots

Does Kyrie Irving Have Franchise Player Potential? Sport Shots

Kyrie Irving Wants to Remain Normal… Cleveland.com

Kyrie Irving plans on degree in five years College Basketball Nation Blog

Former St. Patrick star Kyrie Irving could bring Cavaliers new life as No.1 overall pick NJ.com

Derrick Williams versus Kyrie Irving: Who’s No.1? Arizona Desert Swarm

Can Kyrie Irving Make the Cleveland Cavaliers a Contender? Bleacher Report