By ADAM ZAGORIA
Duke’s loaded freshmen class will yield four first-round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, according to the latest mock from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett remained as the top two picks to Cleveland and Phoenix, respectively, with Cam Reddish now at No. 5 to the Knicks. Freshman point guard Tre Jones is now projected at No. 22 to the Rockets.
Only one team in the last 50 years has had three players taken in the Top 10 of the Draft, and that was Florida in 2007.
As for Kentucky, freshman Keldon Johnson is projected at No. 9 to Boston, while sophomore forward P.J. Washington is at No. 18, also to Boston.
St. John’s junior Shamorie Ponds, the preseason Big East Player of the Year, is projected at No. 42.
Syracuse junior wing and New Jersey native Tyus Battles is now the projected No. 49 pick.
Among schools with the most projected draft picks:
**Duke has has four.
**Gonzaga has three with No. 13 Rui Hachimura, No. 23 Brandon Clarke and No. 50 Killian Tillie.
**Kentucky has two.
**Kansas has two with No. 33 Quentin Grimes and No. 37 Dedric Lawson.
**North Carolina has two with No. 3 Nasir Little and No. 26 Coby White.
**Tennessee has two with No. 28 Grant Williams and No. 29 Admiral Schofield.
**Texas has two in No. 14 Jaxson Hayes and No. 60 Kerwin Roach.
Also of note:
**Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver has moved up to No. 8, while injured Oregon big man Bol Bol slid to No. 15 after being a Top 10 pick.
**Former Louisville commit Brian Bowen, now playing in Australia, is projected at No. 53.
**Four Canadians are projected in the 2019 draft, including Duke’s R.J. Barrett at No. 2, Virginia Tech’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker at No. 17, Arizona State’s Luguentz Dort at No. 20 and Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke at No. 23.
Photo: USA Today
