When [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] got taken off the board with the 16th pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft, he did more than simply realize a manifested dream from his childhood. He helped the Duke athletic program reach some elite company for the 2023-24 athletic calendar.
The Blue Devils became one of just two schools with a first-round pick at both April’s NFL draft and this week’s NBA draft.
Offensive lineman [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag] went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 24th pick on the football side of things.
Only USC, the home of Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and basketball star Isaiah Collier, can say the same for the 2024 draft cycle.
McCain and Barton, despite teaming up for the rare accomplishment, traveled very different paths to reach the professional level. Barton spent four seasons with the Blue Devils, starting as a center during his freshman season before moving to offensive tackle for the next three years.
McCain, a former five-star prospect from California, spent less than 12 months on campus in Durham before heading to the Sixers.