BROOKLYN, NY (WAVY) – Virginia Beach native Mark Williams began his NBA career on Thursday night being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2022 draft. He went 15th overall.
Williams played two years for the Blue Devils, playing for head coach Mike Krzyzewski. His first season with the team started in 2020. While in Durham, he started in 54 of his 62 total game appearances.
On the court he proved a valuable scorer as he made 70% of his 372 shots taken averaging 9.7 points per game. Overall, Williams scored 602 points for Duke in his two seasons with the team.
Boasting impressive defense alongside his offensive performance, Williams was named the 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Williams averaged 2.3 blocks per game in his collegiate career with an average of 4 defensive rebounds per game.
Before his time at Duke, Williams played basketball for Norfolk Academy and IMG Academy in Florida having transferred his senior year. He was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school with a national rank of 28th. Williams was also named as a McDonald’s All-American in 2020.