How many Duke men's basketball hoopers were selected No. 1 overall in NBA draft?

When it comes to having the No. 1 picks in NBA draft history, Duke men’s basketball stands tall above all, having produced five.

The Blue Devils have the most sought-after men’s college basketball player this year in Cooper Flagg, but it is not the first time they have had that in their history.

Flagg is projected to become the first overall pick, which will see him join an exclusive list of Duke hoopers who were the brightest lights during their transition from college to the NBA.

Duke had their first No. 1 pick as far back as the 1960s, though it took another 36 years for the next one to come. However, they have never had to wait that long again, with three coming in the last 16 years, the latest of which was just three years ago.

Here are the five Duke players who were the No. 1 pick in their NBA draft year.

Art Heyman (1963) - New York Knicks

Art Heyman was the first Blue Devil to be picked as No. 1 in an NBA draft after a stellar collegiate career at Duke from 1960 to 1963, where he grew to become one of the top players in the nation. Heyman was quite competitive during his college days and was involved in several brawls during the Duke-UNC rivalry games.

He was also known for his offensive output, scoring 1,984 points during his time with Duke, averaging 25.1 points per game, which were both school records at that time.

In his senior season, he led Duke to its first Final Four appearance and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In 1963, he was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft by the New York Knicks.

Elton Brand (1999) - Chicago Bulls

Elton Brand played two memorable seasons at Duke University from 1997 to 1999 and emerged as one of the most dominant big men in college basketball. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, helping lead the Blue Devils to a 37-2 record and an appearance in the NCAA Championship game.

His quality earned him multiple national honors, including the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1999. It was the same year where he declared for the NBA draft and was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls.

He was one of the first three players under Mike Krzyzewski to declare for the draft without playing all his college years. The other players were William Avery and Corey Maggette.

Kyrie Irving (2011) - Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving had just one year in college (2010-2011) and was limited to 11 games due to a toe injury he suffered in his ninth game of the season. Prior to that injury, he was on track to win the NCAA Freshman of the Year award, though he had already done enough to make his quality obvious.

He returned to the team just before the start of the NCAA Tournament, but he could not take them beyond the Sweet 16 despite scoring 28 points in the loss to Arizona.

Irving ended the season with 17.5 points and a 4.3 assists average, which was enough to establish him as a top prospect.

He eventually declared for the NBA draft and was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011.

Zion Williamson (2019) - New Orleans Pelicans

Like Irving, Zion Williamson played just one season at Duke (2018-2019), but it was enough to capture national attention. The power forward produced 25 points in nine games that season, setting a freshman record at the program.

He averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in 33 appearances, helping the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament title and a run to the Elite Eight.

Williamson made 68% of his shots from the field, which became the highest-ever field goal percentage by a freshman. He also joined Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen to record 500 points, 50 steals and 50 blocks in a season.

The Salisbury, North Carolina native was eventually named the consensus National Player of the Year. After this, he declared for the 2019 NBA draft and was selected first by the New Orleans Pelicans.

Paolo Banchero (2022) - Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero was another one who played just one season at Duke (2021-2022), where he quickly established himself as one of the top freshmen in the country. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

He led the Blue Devils to the Final Four during Krzyzewski’s final season as head coach, earning the ACC Rookie of the Year honors and a consensus second-team All-American. Banchero declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college years, and was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic.