Duke's Brandon Ingram selected No. 2 overall by LA Lakers in NBA draft

NEW YORK CITY (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Lakers selected Brandon Ingram of Duke University with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft.

The 18-year-old, who was considered one of the premier talents in this year's draft, told ABC7's Rob Fukuzaki he wasn't sure where he would go in the draft.

"I didn't know actually. You hear rumors going around, you see it on social media, you see it on the news, everywhere, but I definitely didn't know where I was going," Ingram said. "But I'm excited to be a Los Angeles Laker and I'm excited to work with the new guys."

Standing at 6-foot-9-inches tall, the freshman touts the ability to shoot and defend multiple positions. Ingram averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game at Duke while helping the Blue Devils make the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament before falling to Oregon.

He also shot 41 percent from 3-point range while being named the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year.

But weighing just 190 pounds, scouts believe Ingram will need to add weight to his frame to compete in the NBA.

Ingram, who turns 19 before the 2016-2017 NBA season, told reporters after his private pre-draft workout with the Lakers in June that he plans to "eat everything I can."

The North Carolina native has drawn comparisons to Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant, who was also a tall shooter with a skinny frame when he was drafted out of the University of Texas in 2007.

The Lakers, who were the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA last season, formally introduced Luke Walton as the team's new head coach during a press conference on Tuesday.

MORE: LA Lakers formally introduce Luke Walton as new head coach

Walton, who at 36 years old became the youngest head coach in the NBA, inherits a young Lakers team that will play its first season in 20 years without basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

Ingram should be a good fit for the up-tempo system Walton said he planned to implement in Los Angeles, which is something Ingram said he looks forward to.

"Seeing what Luke Walton did with the Golden State Warriors, it's very exciting to go into that program right now. Just watching him coach young guys and hearing the things I hear about him, it's very exciting for me and very exciting for my family," Ingram said.

Walton, who served as an assistant coach with the Warriors, inherits Lakers guards D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, and forwards Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr., all of whom are 24 years old or younger.

Ingram appears to be set to take over at small forward for Los Angeles, the position previously held by Bryant. Ingram said he understands the high expectations associated with the franchise and plans to work hard.

"Just going into this franchise I know I have to work hard and be the best player I can be," Ingram said.

The Lakers were expected to look to free agency to help bolster their line up, as the team will have about $60 million in salary cap space, plenty of room to land some of the big name free agents expected to hit the mark this off-season.

Among the free agents in play for the Lakers this off-season include Durant, Al Horford, DeMar DeRozan, Roy Hibbert and Hassan Whiteside. Los Angeles should also have plenty of money left over for the next off-season's free agent market, which is expected to include the likes of Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, Serge Ibaka and Derrick Rose.

Louisiana State University's Ben Simmons, who is from Australia, was selected No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Simmons became the first overall pick out of LSU since Shaquille O'Neal was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992. O'Neal went on to win four NBA Championships, three of those with the Lakers, and will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with Allen Iverson in September.

Iverson was the last first overall draft pick for the 76ers when the team selected him in 1996.

Simmons, who stands at 6-foot-10-inches tall, averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in his freshman season. He became the only player in SEC history to finish in the top five in average points, rebounds and assists.

The Associate Press and ESPN contributed to this report.