With Okafor decision, Duke could have two straight No. 1 overall NBA Draft picks

REGENSBURG (David Hein’s Eye on the Future) - The prestigious college basketball program at Duke University has had just one player selected first overall in the NBA Draft in the last 14 years - Kyrie Irving in 2011. But the Blue Devils could now end up having two straight number ones in 2014 and 2015.

All told, Duke have had three former players chosen with the top pick. In addition to Irving's selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Elton Brand went to the Chicago Bulls in 1999 as the first choice and the New York Knicks picked Art Heyman first overall in 1963.

The 2013-14 NCAA collegiate season, as discussed last week, promises to be a thrilling one. One re-occurring theme all year will be which player solidifies himself as the number one pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The frontrunner going into the season is Andrew Wiggins from Kansas and another top choice is Kentucky's Julius Randle. But Duke forward Jabari Parker has a strong chance of joining the likes of Heyman, Brand and Irving. The Chicago native has been excellent to start the campaign for the Cameron Crazies, averaging 22.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 blocks while shooting 56 percent overall and 65 percent (13-of-20) from long range.

It's an open three-man race right now for the 2014 top choice.

Duke also now has locked up one of the top challengers for the number one pick in the 2015 NBA Draft as well in Jahlil Okafor.

Like Parker, Okafor is another Chicago product and the 2.08m center played against Parker in high school last season. They also played together two summers ago, winning the title at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Okafor is considered an offensively unstoppable beast in the blocks with refined fundamentals despite not turning 18 years old until December 15. And many see him as the number one pick in the 2015 draft.

He actually made his decision to attend Duke starting in the 2014-15 season with his friend Tyus Jones, the number four ranked player in the high school class.

Okafor and the point guard Jones teamed up for the title at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and joined forces again at the 2012 FIBA U17 Worlds for another crown.

It was during those two summers together that they agreed to go to college together. Okafor and Jones - who is from the southern outskirts of Minneapolis - never played together otherwise, neither in high school nor on the AAU circuit. But their friendship led them to decide together on Duke.

The package deal - the biggest of its kind since Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr went from Lawrence North high school in Indianapolis to Ohio State University in 2006 - turned Duke into a serious contender for the top freshman class, which also includes shooting ace Grayson Allen. The Blue Devils are also in on adding Justice Winslow, who played with Okafor and Jones this past summer.

At the moment, Duke are still behind, guess who, Kentucky, who have already locked up starting in 2014 the likes of Karl Towns Jr (who played for the Dominican Republic at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship), Trey Lyles, Canada's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship as well as Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis.

The main unsigned high school superstar-in-the-making is Myles Turner from Texas, who is ranked as the number two player in the class behind Okafor.

The Bedford native Turner did not announce his intentions at the start of the early signing period, meaning he will be a hot name all season until he makes up his mind on a school. At least one media outlet has prognosticated that Turner will push Okafor from the top spot in the 2015 NBA Draft.

In the end, Duke fans could see two possible number one picks turn into zero. Regardless, the Okafor-Jones package will give Blue Devils fans plenty of joy for the 2014-15 season.

David Hein

FIBA

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