DURHAM, N.C. — On Monday, the tallest Duke player became the first in the Blue Devils' annual parade of players leaving school for the NBA to make his move official.
Mark Williams, a 7-1, 242-pound sophomore center named ACC defensive player of the year while helping Duke reach the Final Four, announced his intention to turn professional and enter the NBA Draft.
NBA Draft projections consider Williams to be selected in the middle of the first round of the June 23 NBA Draft, with some saying Williams' NCAA tournament play impressed scouts enough that he could be selected late in the lottery section.
The Charlotte Hornets, with a top-14 pick that's order will be determined by the lottery, as well as the No. 15 pick of the first round could have a chance to add Williams.
With Duke freshmen Paolo Banchero and A.J. Griffin both projected as lottery picks, Williams is the first of many Blue Devils expected to enter the NBA Draft this spring. Junior forward Wendell Moore will likely join them and freshman guard Trevor Keels is also exploring the possibility.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Players have until 11:59 p.m. on June 1 to withdraw and retain their college eligibility.
After a strong finish to his freshman season in 2020-21, when he averaged 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds over Duke's final 14 games, Williams emerged as one of the nation's best big men as a sophomore. He averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game as the Blue Devils went 32-7 and won the ACC regular-season championship before advancing to the Final Four.
"Mark has shown tremendous growth from the end of his freshman year until his last game where he was clearly missed due to foul trouble," former Duke all-American center Shelden Williams, the 2005 and 2006 national defensive player of the year and a six-year NBA veteran, said Monday. "Mark will be a high energy guy on the next level. Think of a Clint Capela-type that can run all day, finish at the basket and defend the rim. Excited for his next level but will miss seeing him in the blue and white."
An athletic big man with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Williams was a defensive force in the paint for the Blue Devils. He blocked 110 shots in 39 games. Offensively, he made 72.1% of his shots from the field.
Williams was particularly strong in Duke's 84-81 win over Gonzaga on Nov. 26 when he was matched up against 7-1 freshman Chet Holmgren, who is projected to be among the draft's top picks this summer. Williams produced 17 points, by hitting 8 of 9 shots, while grabbing nine rebounds with six blocked shots.
Williams considered leaving for the NBA after his freshman season. But he told the News & Observer last summer he thought a full season of strong play would boost his draft stock.
"I felt like coming back, I could really show what I can do over the course of a whole year," Williams said in an exclusive interview last September. "My body of work last year, I don't think, would have been enough. I mean, it could have been, obviously, if I'd have tested the waters. But I didn't want it to be a question. So I wanted to come back, show what I could do, dominate for a whole year and see what happens from there."
After doing just that, Williams will be joining his older sister, Elizabeth, professional basketball.
The 6-3 Elizabeth Williams was a four-time all-American center, and the 2015 national defensive player of the year, during her Duke career. Having also played in the Turkish Super League, she's entering her eighth WNBA season after signing as a free agent with the Washington Mystics last February.
Anticipating that Mark Williams would be turning pro after this season, the Blue Devils are well-stocked with centers in their six-man incoming freshmen class. Dereck Lively, a 7-1, 220-pound center and the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2022, signed last November as did 6-11 Kyle Filipowski, who is rated the No. 3 player in the class.
Duke is also adding a developmental player in 7-1, 238-pound center Christian Reeves, a three-star recruit who will likely redshirt as a freshman.
In addition to losing Mark Williams, 6-9 reserve center Theo John also exhausted his college eligibility. So the Blue Devils, as they did with John a year ago, are expected to seek another veteran big man through the transfer portal.
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