Thirty-nine NBA personnel from 25 teams will be represented Thursday night at the Izod Center when Duke meets UConn, sources told SNY.tv.
The game is expected to feature a showdown of true centers when Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, takes on UConn’s Amida Brimah, projected as the No. 16 pick in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
Asked if Okafor’s stock could take a hit if Brimah is able to contain him, one NBA scout said: “It will make no difference if he has any type of success against Okafor. It may help Brimah’s [stock].”
The game will also feature Duke freshman wing Justise Winslow, the projected No. 6 pick in 2015, and Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones the projected No. 20 pick.
Duke’s Rasheed Suliamon and UConn’s Ryan Boatright and Daniel Hamilton are also considered NBA prospects.
Duke practiced Wednesday at the Nets facility in New Jersey, but the Nets must swap their first-round pick in 2015 with Atlanta if the Nets have a higher pick.
The Knicks (5-22), of course, have the second-worst record in the NBA and currently have a 56 percent chance at a top-3 pick and a 20 percent chance at No. 1.
