Cavs select Kyrie Irving with the first pick

It wasn't a well-kept secret, but Kyrie Irving says he didn't know until David Stern called his name.

Now, he's a Cavalier. And he's accepting the challenge and expectations.

"I want to be the cornerstone, the piece they build around," Irving said.

The Cavaliers selected the Duke point guard with the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft Thursday night. He greeted Stern on the podium in New Jersey and is due in Cleveland first thing Friday.

His mission is to become the kind of point guard head coach Byron Scott covets and become the player to lead the Cavaliers back, first, to NBA relevance and eventually towards again being a contender.

Irving played just 11 games in his lone college season as he suffered a toe injury after the eighth game and didn't play again until the NCAA tournament. Despite his shortened season, Irving scored in double figures in every game he played and led Duke with an average of 17.5 points per game.

"Not playing (for three months) was a blessing and a curse at the same time," Irving said." It was unfortunate I couldn't play but it was a blessing learning from all those guys at Duke.

"It was really special to be there."

It's his background as a leader, a solid citizen and his ability to run a team that attracted the Cavaliers. Scott said Irving showed that he has the qualities not only to handle the pressures associated with being a top pick, but to be a floor general and productive player.

"I don't think he'll have a problem dissecting everything we throw at him," Scott said. "His basketball IQ is pretty high."

There was little doubt in NBA circles that he'd declare for the draft and be a top selection if his toe checked out, which it did in postseason medical checks. Irving worked out only for the Cavaliers in the weeks leading up to the draft after they won the NBA draft lottery last month with a pick acquired in a February trade with the Clippers.

"I want to be a complete point guard," he said. "I didn't really get to show that last season."

Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant said the team had tracked -- and coveted -- Irving since very early in the college season last winter.

"There's always debate," Grant said. "But it was pretty obvious early on that this was our guy."

Irving is the Cavaliers' first selection at No. 1 overall since LeBron James in 2003 and their first draft pick of any kind since 2009. The Cavs did not have a pick last summer.

He becomes the first New Jersey native to be selected No. 1 in the NBA draft. Irving finished his high school career at national power St. Patrick High School, then played in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Hoop Summit in the spring of 2010 before enrolling at Duke. Irving also led the USA Under-18 team to a 5-0 record and a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in San Antonio.