Who Got the Number One Pick in the NBA Draft?
The 2019 NBA Draft is just around the corner, and the race for the number one pick is heating up. Who will end up with the top pick?
Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson was the number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He is a power forward from Duke University. Williamson is considered one of the best players in the draft. He is known for his highlight-reel dunks and his ability to score in the paint.
Williamson’s College Career
Zion Williamson enrolled at Duke University in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the top players in college basketball. He was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after leading Duke to the 2019 national championship. Williamson declared for the NBA draft following his freshman year and was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Williamson’s NBA Draft Profile
Zion Williamson is considered one of the most exciting young players to enter the NBA in recent memory. A 6’7″, 285-pound forward, Williamson was a consensus top-three recruit coming out of high school. He played one season of college basketball at Duke, where he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. He was named the ACC Player of the Year, NAACP National Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year and USBWA National Freshman of the Year.
Mock drafts had Williamson going first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft since he was first eligible in 2018. He was ultimately selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ja Morant
The 2019 NBA draft took place on June 20, 2019, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With the first overall pick, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Zion Williamson from Duke University. Ja Morant was drafted second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Morant’s College Career
Morant played college basketball for the Murray State Racers of Murray State University. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Player and Freshman of the Year in 2018. As a sophomore, he was named first-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP), USBWA, NABC and Sporting News, becoming the first Murray State player to do so. He was also named OVC Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. In his two years with the Racers, Morant averaged 24.5 points, 6.7 assists and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor, 37.8 percent from three-point range and 70.6 percent from the free throw line in 61 games (60 starts).
Morant’s NBA Draft Profile
Ja Morant was selected as the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He is a 6’3″, 175-pound point guard out of Murray State University. Morant was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018-19 after averaging 24.5 points, 10.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.
RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett was the number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He is a shooting guard from Duke University. Barrett was the second Canadian player to be drafted first overall, after Andrew Wiggins in 2014.
Barrett’s College Career
In his one and only season at Duke, Barrett was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the First Team All-ACC. He averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range. He helped lead Duke to a 28-6 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Barrett’s NBA Draft Profile
RJ Barrett was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada to Rowan and Kesha Barrett. He played his high school basketball for Montverde Academy in Florida, where he won a National Championship. In his senior year, he was named a McDonald’s All-American, and he won the Naismith High School Player of the Year Award. Barrett was also named a First Team All-American by the USA Today. He was widely considered to be the best player in his class, and he was recruited by many colleges before deciding to play for Duke University.
In his one season at Duke, Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 4.3 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game. He led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to eventual national champion Virginia. Barrett declared for the NBA Draft after just one year of college basketball, and he is expected to be a high lottery pick.
Darius Garland
With the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Darius Garland out of Vanderbilt University. Garland, a 6-foot-2 point guard, was widely considered to be one of the best pure shooters in the draft.
Garland’s College Career
Darius Garland committed to Vanderbilt University to play college basketball for head coach Bryce Drew. He was considered one of the best prospects in the 2018 recruiting class.
In his lone season at Vanderbilt, Garland averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. He shot 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range. His season ended prematurely after he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in November 2018.
He underwent surgery on November 27, 2018, and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Garland’s NBA Draft Profile
Darius Garland (born January 13, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Garland was considered one of the top prospects for the 2019 NBA draft before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
On March 5, 2019, Garland suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee, ending his season. He underwent successful surgery on March 8.
Coby White
Coby White was born on January 16th, 1999, in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Coby played high school basketball for the Greenfield Knights. He was recruited by the University of North Carolina and played one year of college basketball there before declaring for the NBA draft. White was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
White’s College Career
Coby White played one season of college basketball for the University of North Carolina before declaring for the 2019 NBA draft. In his lone season with the Tar Heels, White averaged 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 33 games. He shot 41.2 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 73 percent from the free-throw line.
White’s NBA Draft Profile
Coby White (born February 16, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was considered one of the top college prospects and a potential lottery pick in the 2019 NBA draft before declaring for it after his freshman season. He was selected seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls.
White attended Greene Central High School in Snow Hill, North Carolina. As a junior, he averaged 28.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, leading his team to a 28–3 record and being named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. As a senior, he averaged 30.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from three-point range.
White played one season of college basketball for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under head coach Roy Williams. On November 6, 2018, he scored 37 points in a 103–90 win over Stanford, setting a freshman scoring record for UNC and breaking Tyler Hansbrough’s previous mark of 30 points. For the season, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, shooting 41 percent from three-point range as UNC reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Auburn 97–80. After the season, he declared for the 2019 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining three years of collegiate eligibility.
