From start to finish, the 2023 NBA Draft was a showcase of SEC talent. The conference produced the first college player off the board (Alabama’s Brandon Miller at No. 2), the last player selected (Kentucky’s Chris Livingston at No. 58) and dominated much of the time in between, sending 10 prospects to the professional ranks in the two-round event.
The Big Ten was second with eight players selected, starting with Michigan’s Jett Howard at No. 11. The NBA plucked five players from the ACC ranks. Both the Pac-12 and Big 12 were close behind with four. Eleven schools sent multiple players to the draft in 2023. Among those, two programs led the way with three apiece.
Let’s take a deeper look and see which schools produced the most NBA-bound talent in 2023.
Arkansas (3)
Anthony Black (No. 6 to Magic)Nick Smith Jr. (No. 27 to Hornets)Jordan Walsh (No. 38 to Celtics)
Eric Musselman does it again, helping produce two first-round picks and three players overall. Jaylin Williams was drafted in the second round last season and Moses Moody was selected No. 14 overall by the Warriors in 2021. Black is the highest draft pick in the Musselman era.
UCLA (3)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (No. 18 to Heat)Amari Bailey (No. 41 to Hornets)Jaylen Clark (No. 53 to Timberwolves)
Jaquez was a late riser in the cycle and worked his way up to mid-first-round consideration. Bailey elected to go through with the draft process and became a second-round pick. If he stayed with the Bruins one more season, it’s possible he could have been a first-round pick.
Alabama (2)
Brandon Miller (No. 2 to Hornets)Noah Clowney (No. 21 to Nets)
Miller beat out Henderson for the right to be selected second and he will head to Charlotte to team up with a rising star in LaMelo Ball. Miller joined Antonio McDyess (No. 2 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft) as the highest draft selection in school history.
Duke (2)
Dereck Lively ll (No. 12 to Mavericks)Dariq…..
