Nine Big 12 Players Selected in ESPN’s 2023 NBA Mock Draft
The NBA Draft may be months away, but it’s never too early to have some fun and discuss where our favorite college basketball players may end up getting drafted. And when it comes to the Big 12 Conference, between the current and future teams in the league, the 2023 NBA Draft could be a loaded one.
Last year’s draft saw only four members of the Big 12 Conference get picked, with Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, who joined Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan and Kendall Brown as the four representatives.
ESPN‘s Jonathan Givony released a new 2023 NBA mock draft which featured a much higher percentage of Big 12 players drafted with nine players being selected.
The list is headlined by Houston power forward Jarace Walker heading to the Indiana Pacers as the seventh overall pick followed closely behind by Baylor’s Keyonte George headed to the Orlando Magic with the eighth pick.
Gradey Dick for Kansas is one of the surprises to the list, not because he is undeserving to be ranked this high, but because he ranks above fellow teammate Jalen Wilson. Dick is projected as the 11th overall pick for the New Orleans Pelicans. UCF Night Talor Hendricks is projected to be selected as the 19th overall pick to the Golden State Warriors to pair up with James Wiseman in an evolving duo on the low blocks.
Texas’ Dillon Mitchell rounds out the first round for the Big 12 with the 29th overall pick for the Boston Celtics team looking for an NBA title this year. The second round begins with a superstar from Houston, Marcus Sasser, joining teammate Tarace Walker on the Indiana Pacers as the 31st pick.
The Sacramento Kings snag Kansas State forward Keyontae Johnson with the 37th overall pick, something that Wildcats fans haven’t seen in recent years. Jalen Wilson finally comes off the board at the 41st overall pick, joining fellow Jayhawk Gradey Dick on the New Orleans Pelicans. Kevin McCullar becomes the last Big 12 member taken as the 55th overall pick in the NBA draft by the Brooklyn Nets.
Regardless of whether or not these predictions come true, it’s another sign that the Big 12 Conference, between the current and future members, is going to be in a great position moving forward.
