On Saturday afternoon in Coleman Coliseum, Alabama Basketball will have the most players projected to be drafted by the NBA this June. There are dozens of draft projections and outside of a few players, there are wide-ranging opinions. In this post, projections done by Adam Finkelstein are used as published by CBS Sports, and 247Sports.
Finkelstein's projections have six Alabama basketball players drafted in June. Labaron Philon is projected as a first-round selection. Mark Sears, Cliff Omoruyi, Grant Nelson, Chris Youngblood, and Derrion Reid are projected as second-round picks. Alabama fans may be surprised about Philon as a first-round choice. Until the Texas game, the freshman had been struggling for several games. The NBA loves to draft young players with high ceilings. A few months ago, Philon was being projected as a lottery pick. Though his star has dimmed, he remains a valued prospect by NBA teams.
The SEC's projected lottery picks are Georgia freshman, Asa Newell; Oklahoma freshman, Jeremiah Fears; Texas freshman, Tre Johnson; and South Carolina sophomore, Collin Murray-Boles.
Alabama Basketball outpaces Auburn
Auburn does not match Alabama in the total number of players projected to be drafted. The Tigers have two less than Bama at four, but two of the four are projected first-round selections. Auburn's projected first rounders are senior Johni Broome and freshman, Tahaad Pettiford. Projected as NBA second rounders are senior, Miles Kelly and senior Chad Baker-Mazara.
Only two other SEC basketball teams match the Alabama number of six players projected to be drafted. Arkansas has Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero projected in the first round; plus Trevon Brazile, Jonas Aidoo, Johnell Davis, and Zvonimir Ivisic projected as second-round selections. The Kentucky Wildcats have no projected first rounders, but six Cats projected in the second round are Lamont Butler, Amari Williams, Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Otega Oweh, and Andrew Carr.
NBA Combine season begins with the G League Combine, May 9-11, followed by the NBA Combine, May 11-18. The NBA Draft will take place on June 25th and 26th. After the combines, players will have private workouts with interested teams.
For any SEC fans who don't pay attention to the ACC and wonder why Duke is so good; the Blue Devils have three projected NBA Lottery picks. All three are freshmen.