Paolo Banchero selected No.1 in 2022 NBA Draft by Orlando Magic

The 2022 NBA Draft took place on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in New York. The Orlando Magic were given the opportunity to pick first and they selected Duke’s power forward, Paolo Banchero.

The 19-year-old prospect had a great season in the NCAA averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across 39 appearances. Banchero led Duke to the Final Four overcoming tough challenges along the way including Arkansas and Texas Tech.

He became the 4th player from Duke selected No.1 overall in the NBA Draft joining Zion Williamson (2019), Kyrie Irving (2011), and Elton Brand (1999).

The second pick in the 2022 NBA Draft went to the OKC Thunder who selected Gonzaga’s power forward and center, Chet Holmgren. The 20-year-old failed to live up to the expectations during the NCAA Bracket Tournament as his Gonzaga exited early following a 68-74 loss to Arkansas. However, his impact has been unparalleled across the season as he finished off with 68% effective field goal percentage. Not only has he been decent in the paint, but he has also showed his skills from the 3-point line knocking down 39% of his attempts.