2023 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Predictions Before NCAA Championship
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament national championship game does not feature any top-tier NBA draft prospects.
The UConn Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs could combine to produce one or two NBA draft picks when June 22 rolls around.
The lack of top prospects in Monday's game highlights how wild the college basketball season has been. Few of the elite programs in the sport were at their best and that allowed more experienced teams like San Diego State to make deep runs in March Madness.
The prospect class of the 2023 NBA draft also contributes to the lack of lottery picks in the title game.
Victor Wembanyama headlines a class that could feature four of the top five picks from an international team, the G League or Overtime Elite.
The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are in the best positions possible to land the French wonderkid, as they have the three worst records in the NBA and the same 14 percent chance to win the draft lottery May 16.
2023 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
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1. Detroit - Victor Wembanyama, C, Metropolitans 92 (France)
2. Houston - Scoot Henderson, PG, G League
3. San Antonio - Brandon Miller, F, Alabama
4. Charlotte - Amen Thompson, PG/SG, Overtime Elite
5. Portland - Jarace Walker, PF, Houston
6. Indiana - Ausar Thompson, SG/SF, Overtime Elite
7. Washington - Anthony Black, SG/SF, Arkansas
8. Orlando - Cam Whitmore, PF, Villanova
9. Utah - Gradey Dick, SF, Kansas
10. Dallas - Nick Smith Jr., PG/SG, Arkansas
11. Oklahoma City - Keyonte George, SG, Baylor
12. Orlando (from Chicago) - Taylor Hendricks, PF, UCF
13. Utah (from Minnesota) - Cason Wallace, PG, Kentucky
14. Toronto - Brice Sensabaugh, SF, Ohio State
15. Atlanta - Kris Murray, PF, Iowa
16. New Orleans - Jett Howard, SG, Michigan
17. Los Angeles Lakers - Dereck Lively II, C, Duke
18. Houston (from LA Clippers) - Rayan Rupert, SG, New Zealand Breakers
19. Golden State - Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
20. Miami - Jalen Hood-Schifino, PG/SG. Indiana
21. Brooklyn - GG Jackson, PF, South Carolina
22. Brooklyn (from Phoenix) - Jordan Hawkins, SG, UConn
23. Portland (from New York) - Marcus Sasser, PG/SG, Houston
24. Sacramento - Colby Jones, SG, Xavier
25. Indiana (from Cleveland) - Noah Clowney, PF, Alabama
26. Memphis - Maxwell Lewis, SF, Pepperdine
27. Utah (from Philadelphia) - Terquavion Smith, SG, NC State
28. Charlotte (from Denver) - Dariq Whitehead, SF, Duke
29. Indiana (from Boston) - Trayce Jackson-Davis, PF, Indiana
30. LA Clippers (from Milwaukee) - Jalen Wilson, SF/PF, Kansas
UConn Guard Pair Are Best NBA Prospects in National Championship
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Monday's national championship game could produce just two NBA draft selections.
UConn guards Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson will be the best prospects on the floor in Houston, and only Hawkins could be chosen in the first round.
The opinion of their draft stock differ among draft experts.
ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony projected Hawkins as the No. 23 overall pick in his March mock draft.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed Hawkins as his No. 41 prospect in the draft class before the Sweet 16.
Jackson was projected by Givony as the No. 51 overall pick in the second round. He did not make Wasserman's top 50.
Hawkins has been UConn's second-best scorer all season. He averages 16.2 points per game and shoots 38.6 percent from three-point range.
The sophomore guard helped his draft stock a bit with five double-digit point performances in the NCAA tournament, but his shot creation was limited in some of those contests. Hawkins was 9-of-17 three-pointers against the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes.
Hawkins needs to work on his two-point shot creation to be considered a consensus first-round pick by the time the draft rolls around.
As for Jackson, he has the height at 6'6" and passing ability to fit the part of an NBA player, but he needs to score more.
Jackson's highest NCAA tournament point total is 10. He did have 10 assists and nine rebounds against Gonzaga, and he has at least seven assists in four of the last five games.
If Jackson's shot improves, he could be a valuable piece off the bench for an NBA team in a year or two.
If Hawkins and Jackson both get drafted, they would match the same number of national championship participants selected from a year ago. The Kansas Jayhawks duo of Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun were chosen 14th and 21st.
College Stars Hard to Find in Top 5
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Alabama Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller could be the only college basketball prospect chosen in the top five.
Miller was one of the best Division I players all season, but he had some of his worst individual performances during the NCAA tournament.
Miller went 8-of-41 from the field, 3-of-19 from three-point range and scored 28 points in three NCAA tournament contests.
The good news for the star freshman is that NBA evaluators likely will not drop his draft stock because of three games.
Miller has the size (6'9", 200 pounds) and athletic ability that NBA franchises love to see in college prospects, and that could make him the No. 3 pick behind Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
Miller would be the only collegiate prospect chosen in the top five if the Thompson brothers from the Overtime Elite league are also chosen that high.
That would be a rare sight to see in the NBA draft, and one that showcases the different routes available outside of college basketball now available to prospects out of high school.
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