Duke's Dariq Whitehead entering NBA draft after one season
Duke forward Dariq Whitehead (0) reacts after making a shot and drawing a foul during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Credit: AP/Chris Seward
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead is entering the NBA draft.
The 6-foot-7 wing announced his decision Wednesday. He averaged 8.3 points and shot a team-best 42.4% from 3-point range in 28 games.
Whitehead missed the first four games while recovering from an offseason foot injury, then missed another four games during the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule with a sprain to his lower left leg. Those impacted his ability to develop over the course of the season.
In a statement from the school, coach Jon Scheyer says Whitehead is “just scratching the surface on who he's going to be" and supports Whitehead's decision.
Whitehead scored 16 points in a win against eventual Final Four team Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, then had four steals in the title-game win against Virginia. He had 13 points off the bench in a career-best 33 minutes in the second-round NCAA loss to Tennessee.
