PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Brandon Ingram was recently installed as the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft — ahead of Ben Simmons — by DraftExpress.com.
Playing in his first NCAA Tournament game on Thursday afternoon, the 6-foot-9 freshman did nothing to dissuade Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress of that ranking.
Ingram went for 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists as No. 4 Duke held off a tough and gutsy UNC-Wilmington team, 93-85, in a first-round game in the West Region at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. He shot 7-for-12 overall and 5-of-10 from the foul line.
“I think I played pretty good,” Ingram told SNY.tv in the Duke locker room. “I gotta knock down a few more free throws but I think I played pretty good.”
Marshall Plumlee notched a season-high 23 points with 8 rebounds and Grayson Allen added 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 turnovers.
Craig Ponder led UNCW with 22 points and Chris Flemmings, a Division 2 transfer and walk-on at UNCW, had 18.
Several things are appealing to NBA personnel about Ingram, including his 7-foot-3 wingspan and his age (he turns 19 in September).
“Brandon is going to keep getting better,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: “He’s a terrific basketball player, and when he gets weight, age, and even more experience, he’ll be a big-time player at the next level. He’s a big-time player here but not nearly what he will be in the future. You put 20 pounds on him and a couple more years, and — there’s no one like him. I’m not saying he’s the best, but he’s unbelievably unique, and we’ve tried to work with him like that.”
Said one NBA executive: “He is clearly their best player. He has gotten better every month of his freshman year. He will be in the conversation for the No.1 pick in this year’s draft.”
UNCW coach Kevin Keatts was asked about playing a team in Duke that has seven McDonald’s All-Americans while his program has none.
“We don’t have a lot of McDonald’s All-Americans,” Keatts said. “We do pass a lot of McDonald’s on our way home.”
Ingram is the latest one-and-done player for Duke, following Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones last season. Next year, Duke will add Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles, the projected 1-2 picks in 2017 by DraftExpress.com.
On Wednesday, Coach K told reporters Ingram will follow suit.
“Yeah, he will,” he said, adding that Ingram should make the most of his one NCAA Tourmament.
“He will be affected by the memory of what he does in the tournament,” Krzyzewski said “This is the one time you will be in the NCAA tournament, and to make the most of that opportunity.”
For his part, Ingram says he’s not paying attention to draft boards at the moment, and is just trying to enjoy the Madness.
“I don’t really look into that stuff,” he said. “I’m really with my team and I’m not looking outside college basketball right now. The NBA is going to be there and I’m just worried about what’s happening right now.”
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