3 Texas basketball players who could be selected in 2023 NBA Draft
By Shane Black
On June 23, 58 picks went by during the 2022 NBA Draft, and not one Texas basketball player was selected. Although there were no players from last year’s team expected to be drafted, the Longhorn faithful had become very accustomed to hearing someone from the Horns selected on draft night.
In 2021, Kai Jones, Greg Brown III, and Jericho Sims were all selected.
Texas has had 13 NBA Draft selections since 2010, including ten first-rounders and four lottery picks. If you look a step below the traditional powers of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina, Texas is right there for producing NBA players.
Texas was tied for the third most NBA players on opening day rosters last season with 13.
Texas basketball players who could be selected in the 2023 NBA Draft
Though I am sure Longhorn fans will trade the NCAA Tournament win Chris Beard produced over any of Shaka Smart’s lottery picks, it is still nice to show recruits that your program can be a pipeline to the NBA.
Looking ahead, the 2022-23 Longhorns are ranked as a top-15 team in nearly every early preseason poll.
Let’s take a look at the three most likely players to be drafted from a loaded roster during Beard’s second season at the helm with the Longhorns.