The college basketball season gets underway with the Champions Classic, which tips-off at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 9, Tuesday.
It’s still early days in the NBA’s 2021-22 season but the scouting departments of NBA franchises have their eyes set on the upcoming talent.
So, once the Draft is wrapped up, it’s never too early for a Mock Draft for the ensuing year.
2022 NBA MOCK DRAFT: Top players to watch as college season tips-off
Who leads the early race for 2022 NBA Draft No. 1 pick?
As per the Mock Draft by Sporting News’ Draft Expert Kyle Irving, Duke’s Paolo Banchero leads the early race for the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Here’s an excerpt from Irving’s Mock Draft on Banchero’s skills:
He’s powerful inside with elite athleticism, but can also step out to the perimeter on both sides of the ball, displaying switchability on defense and a soft shooting touch on offense.
A five-star prospect who was ranked No. 4 in the 2021 class, Banchero received scholarship offers from multiple NCAA Division I programs like Duke and Kentucky. Most recruiting analysts predicted him committing to Washington, however, he joined Duke’s 2021 recruiting class.
Here’s a look at the other top candidates from the Sporting News’ 2022 Mock Draft:
| Player | Year, College | Height/Position | |
| 1. | Paolo Banchero | Freshman, Duke | 6-foot-10/Power Forward |
| 2. | Chet Holmgren | Freshman, Gonzaga | 7-foot-1/Center |
| 3. | Jalen Duren | Freshman, Memphis | 6-foot-10/Center |
| 4. | Jaden Hardy | G Leauge Ignite | 6-foot-4/Guard |
| 5. | Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Freshman, Milwaukee | 6-foot-9/Forward |
| 6. | Caleb Houstan | Freshman, Michigan | 6-foot-8/Forward |
| 7. | Peyton Watson | Freshman, UCLA | 6-foot-8/Forward |
| 8. | Jabari Smith Jr. | Freshman, Auburn | 6-foot-10/Forward |
| 9. | AJ Griffin | Freshman, Duke | 6-foot-6/Forward |
| 10. | Yannick Nzosa | Unicaja (Liga ACB) | 6-foot-11Center |
Who is Paolo Banchero?
Banchero is an Italian-American 6-foot-10 forward, who was born Seattle, Washington on Nov. 12, 2002.
Early on, he played both basketball and football as he ranked among the top 50 eighth-graders nationally in both sports while also participating in Track. He went to high school at O’Dea High School in Seattle where he played basketball and football (as the back-up quarterback).
MORE: How to watch all of Banchero’s games this season
He went on to be named to the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic rosters. Banchero picked up basketball, drawing inspiration from his mother Rhonda, who played professionally and was a third-round selection in the 2000 WNBA Draft.
When is the 2022 NBA Draft?
After three years, the NBA Draft is back where it belongs on the NBA schedule — in the last week of June, just days after a possible Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
MORE: Key Dates for NBA’s 2021-22 season
The 2022 NBA Draft is scheduled for Jun. 23, 2022.
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Full list of former No. 1 picks of the NBA Draft
There’s plenty of time to go but if Banchero does get picked No. 1 overall, here’s the list of players he would join:
| Year | Selected by | Player | Nationality | School/club |
| 2021 | Detroit Pistons | Cade Cunningham | USA | Oklahoma State |
| 2020 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards | USA | Georgia |
| 2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson | USA | Duke |
| 2018 | Phoenix Suns | Deandre Ayton | Bahamas | Arizona |
| 2017 | Philadelphia 76ers | Markelle Fultz | USA | Washington |
| 2016 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ben Simmons | Australia | LSU |
| 2015 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns | Dominican Republic | Kentucky |
| 2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andrew Wiggins | Canada | Kansas |
| 2013 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Anthony Bennett | Canada | UNLV |
| 2012 | New Orleans Pelicans | Anthony Davis | USA | Kentucky |
| 2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kyrie Irving | USA | Duke |
| 2010 | Washington Wizards | John Wall | USA | Kentucky |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Clippers | Blake Griffin | USA | Oklahoma |
| 2008 | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | USA | Memphis |
| 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | Greg Oden | USA | Ohio State |
| 2006 | Toronto Raptors | Andrea Bargnani | Italy | Benetton Treviso |
| 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | Andrew Bogut | Australia | Utah |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | Dwight Howard | USA | SACA |
| 2003 | Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James | USA | St. Vincent-St. Mary |
| 2002 | Houston Rockets | Yao Ming | China | Shanghai Sharks |
| 2001 | Washington Wizards | Kwame Brown | USA | Glynn Academy HS |
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets | Kenyon Martin | USA | Cincinnati |
| 1999 | Chicago Bulls | Elton Brand | USA | Duke |
| 1998 | Los Angeles Clippers | Michael Olowokandi | Nigeria | Pacific |
| 1997 | San Antonio Spurs | Tim Duncan | USA | Wake Forest |
| 1996 | Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | USA | Georgetown |
| 1995 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Smith | USA | Maryland |
| 1994 | Milwaukee Bucks | Glenn Robinson | USA | Purdue |
| 1993 | Orlando Magic | Chris Webber | USA | Michigan |
| 1992 | Orlando Magic | Shaquille O’Neal | USA | LSU |
| 1991 | Charlotte Hornets | Larry Johnson | USA | UNLV |
| 1990 | New Jersey Nets | Derrick Coleman | USA | Syracuse |
| 1989 | Sacramento Kings | Pervis Ellison | USA | Louisville |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Clippers | Danny Manning | USA | Kansas |
| 1987 | San Antonio Spurs | David Robinson | USA | Navy |
| 1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Brad Daugherty | USA | North Carolina |
| 1985 | New York Knicks | Patrick Ewing | USA | Georgetown |
| 1984 | Houston Rockets | Hakeem Olajuwon | Nigeria | Houston |
| 1983 | Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson | USA | Virginia |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | James Worthy | USA | North Carolina |
| 1981 | Dallas Mavericks | Mark Aguirre | USA | DePaul |
| 1980 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Barry Carroll | USA | Purdue |
| 1979 | Los Angeles Lakers | Magic Johnson | USA | Michigan State |
| 1978 | Portland Trail Blazers | Mychal Thompson | Bahamas | Minnesota |
| 1977 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kent Benson | USA | Indiana |
| 1976 | Houston Rockets | John Lucas | USA | Maryland |
| 1975 | Atlanta Hawks | David Thompson | USA | NC State |
| 1974 | Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Walton | USA | UCLA |
| 1973 | Philadelphia 76ers | Doug Collins | USA | Illinois State |
| 1972 | Portland Trail Blazers | LaRue Martin | USA | Loyola (Illinois) |
| 1971 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | USA | Notre Dame |
| 1970 | Detroit Pistons | Bob Lanier | USA | St. Bonaventure |
| 1969 | Milwaukee Bucks | Lew Alcindor | USA | UCLA |
| 1968 | San Diego Rockets | Elvin Hayes | USA | Houston |
| 1967 | Detroit Pistons | Jimmy Walker | USA | Providence |
| 1996 | New York Knicks | Cazzie Russell | USA | Michigan |
| 1965 | San Francisco Warriors | Fred Hetzel | USA | Davidson |
| 1964 | New York Knicks | Jim Barnes | USA | Texas Western |
| 1963 | New York Knicks | Art Heyman | USA | Duke |
| 1962 | Chicago Zephyrs | Bill McGill | USA | Utah |
| 1961 | Chicago Packers | Walt Bellamy | USA | Indiana |
| 1960 | Cincinnati Royals | Oscar Robertson | USA | Cincinnati |
| 1959 | Cincinnati Royals | Bob Boozer | USA | Kansas State |
| 1958 | Minneapolis Lakers | Elgin Baylor | USA | Seattle |
| 1957 | Cincinnati Royals | Rod Hundley | USA | West Virginia |
| 1956 | Rochester Royals | Sihugo Green | USA | Duquesne |
| 1955 | Milwaukee Bucks | Dick Ricketts | USA | Duquesne |
| 1954 | Baltimore Bullets | Frank Selvy | USA | Furman |
| 1953 | Baltimore Bullets | Ray Felix | USA | Long Island |
| 1952 | Milwaukee Hawks | Mark Workman | USA | West Virginia |
| 1951 | Baltimore Bullets | Gene Melchiorre | USA | Bradley |
| 1950 | Boston Celtics | Charlies Share | USA | Bowling Green |
| 1949 | Providence Steamrollers | Howie Shannon | USA | Kansas State |
| 1948 | Providence Steamrollers | Andy Tonkovich | USA | Marshall |
| 1947 | Pittsburgh Ironmen | Clifton McNeeley | USA | Texas Wesleyan |
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