NBA
Duke’s Dariq Whitehead announced on his social media that he is declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated29 Mar 2023
The Duke Blue Devils will always be a program that gets top recruits to come to play for them. Many had them penciled into the Final Four before their loss to Tennessee in the round of 32. Five-star recruit Dariq Whitehead did not have the freshman season that either side hoped he would have. That’s why Whitehead announced on his social media today that he’s declaring for the 2023 NBA draft after one season at Duke.
Whitehead played in 28 of Duke’s 36 regular season games as the Blue Devils won the ACC Conference tournament championship. He was a versatile wing at six-foot-seven and was knocking down his threes at a red-hot (.429) percent this season. The Newark, NJ native could be the prototype player that all NBA teams are looking for.
He’s projected to be a late first-round, early second-round draft pick.
🙏🏾… pic.twitter.com/fFQHXxRl7p
— Dariq whitehead (@dariq_whitehead) March 29, 2023
Duke’s Dariq Whitehead declared for the NBA draft after just one season with the Blue Devils
Injuries were Whitehead’s biggest issue this season with Duke. He missed parts of the beginning of the season with a foot fracture and then missed more time with a lower leg injury. When he was available, he showed why he was a five-star prospect and could be a sleeper pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
In 28 games played for the Blue Devils this season he averaged (8.3) points, (2.4) rebounds, and (1.0) assists per game. He was also shooting a lights-out three-point percentage of (.429) and took (3.5) triples per game. Efficient three-point shooting is a premium in the NBA and Whitehead has the ability to do just that.
Whitehead was not the superstar that Duke expected him to be this season, but he did fight back from two separate injuries and was reliable down the stretch. His athleticism and NBA prototype build will all be determining factors in where he lands in the upcoming draft.
