Alabama Basketball: NBA dreams realized or deferred in tonight’s Draft

Former Alabama Basketball players, Herbert Jones, Josh Primo and John Petty Jr. have a big night in front of them. The 2021 NBA Draft will begin at 7:00 PM CST at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

After the perfunctory opening obligations are over, the Detroit Pistons will select Oklahoma State’s, Cade Cunningham. If Detroit does not take the big point guard, it will shock the world of professional basketball.

The next few selections, after the first pick, probably will not send shock waves either. There is little chance a former Alabama basketball player, or even an SEC player, will be chosen in the first six or seven picks.

Many Mock Drafts have former Arkansas freshman, Moses Moody being the first SEC player selected. Moody is likely in the No. 10 to No. 14 pick range. There is little consensus in the ‘NBA Mock World’ about the next SEC player to be chosen. As an aside, there are not as many NBA Mock Drafts as there are stars in the galaxy. But describing NBA Mock Drafts as ubiquitous is not an outlandish exaggeration.

The value of any one NBA Mock Draft is slight. The observations in this post come from perusing more than a few – and then guessing which ones are credible.

Based on my review, tonight will be an SEC, NBA Draft bonanza. In the Top 50 players selected, there could be 10-14 former SEC players. Considering International and G-League players may take as many as 10 of the Top 50 slots, the SEC Draft haul will be huge.

After Moses Moody, the next two SEC players chosen will likely be former Tennessee Vol, Keon Johnson and former Bengal Tiger, Cam Thomas.

What about the Alabama Basketball Trio?

Josh Primo could go next, though more probably, Primo will go at No. 27 to the Brooklyn Nets or No. 28 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Though less likely, there has been a little buzz, the 76ers might take Herbert Jones with the 28th pick. Even if Herbert does not go in the first round, he is not expected to drop below the first three to six picks in the second round. A recent rumor was Boston being focused on Herbert at No. 45, but I doubt Jones will be available by then.

Here is a FanSided Mock Draft. I am pretty sure it is wrong about the Alabama Crimson Tide first-round chances (and more).

Will John Petty Jr. get drafted? He could be in the bottom half of the second round. The problem for Petty is; it is so hard to get drafted. Because the game is international and with the Draft having only two rounds, many very good college players do not get drafted. If Petty doesn’t get selected, he will probably be in some pretty good SEC company, with Tennessee’s Yves Pons and LSU’s Trendon Watford.

The complete NBA Draft Order is available here.

When the night is over, Alabama Basketball should have as many players drafted as several SEC schools. Only Kentucky is expected to do better. Half the SEC schools could go zero-for-the NBA Draft.