Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Players Not Among First Draft Green Room Invites

Duke basketball's Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski should be in the final batch of invites to the NBA Draft's staging area.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball
Duke basketball / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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Neither Duke basketball one-and-done Jared McCain nor two-year Blue Devil star Kyle Filipowski landed on the 12-deep list of NBA Draft green room invites that went out on Tuesday. No worries, though, for it would have come as a bit of a surprise if either had.

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And there's still a good chance one or both Blue Devils will get the prestigious invite soon. As ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported, "another 11-12 invites are expected to be sent out in waves starting next week" to those who will be in the staging area at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 26.

Filipowski, the 2022-23 ACC Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-ACC First Team this past season after leading Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils in scoring for the second year in a row, has popped up as a late lottery pick (10-14 range) on the occasional mock draft or big board.

The same goes for the sharpshooting McCain, an ACC All-Freshman Team selection as the 2023-24 Duke basketball squad's second-leading scorer.

However, there's a fair number of mock drafts out there projecting Filipowski and McCain to come off the board No. 20 or later. There's no consensus on which one will hear his name first.

Duke basketball has produced at least one first-rounder three years straight. In fact, 2020 (three second-rounders out of Durham in Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr. and Cassius Stanley) is the only instance since 2011 that a Blue Devil hasn't been drafted in the first round.

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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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