2023 NBA Draft Preview: Alabama Basketball Set For Noteworthy Night

The Crimson Tide is projected to have multiple first-round picks in tonight's draft.

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For Alabama basketball fans, the NBA Draft used to be a night seldom cared about, unless you had an NBA team of your own to root for. 

But since head coach Nate Oats arrived in the spring of 2019, the narrative around the Crimson Tide and the NBA has started to shift. 

Alabama has had four players drafted into the NBA since the 2020 draft, more than North Carolina and as many as Kansas. That mark is good enough for third in the SEC, trailing only Auburn and Kentucky. In that same time frame, Alabama has two lottery picks, one more than blue bloods Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas. 

In every NBA Draft since Oats' arrival, Alabama has had at least one player drafted, and 2023 isn't going to be any different. There are three Crimson Tide players eligible to be selected in tonight's draft, which begins at 7 p.m. CT on ABC and ESPN, so let's take a look at each one and where he might go.

Brandon Miller

Freshman forward Brandon Miller took the college basketball world by storm in his lone season at Alabama, winning SEC Player of the Year and being named a second-team All-American leading the Crimson Tide's historic season. 

After being much lower on draft boards to begin the season, he now holds the unanimous title of being the best college prospect in this year's draft. 

Unfortunately for Miller, international prospect Victor Wembanyama, a seemingly generational 7-foot-4 big with guard skills, is also in this draft and will be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the top pick, so the draft really begins with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 2. 

The Hornets, by all reports, are deciding between Miller and G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, whose world-class athleticism and explosiveness make him an incredibly enticing prospect. 

Some believe Miller is a better fit for the Hornets, while others believe that Henderson is an outright better player, and should be selected before Miller. 

Whichever one the Hornets end up selecting, the other will be available for the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 3, but the Blazers have mulled trading the pick to get more win-now pieces for star Damian Lillard to work with. 

Every single reputable mock draft on the internet has Miller going either second or third. In fact, the Hornets and Blazers are the only two teams Miller worked out for in the pre-draft process. If he ends up being selected second, he would tie Antonio McDyess in 1995 for the highest selected player in Alabama history. 

Whether he ends up going second or third, Miller will undoubtedly be the third lottery pick under Oats, and Alabama's fourth lottery pick since the 2018 draft. 

Noah Clowney

Freshman forward Noah Clowney was one of the biggest surprises to both Alabama basketball and NBA Draft circles last season.

After being rated as a fringe top-75 recruit coming out of high school, Clowney quickly established himself as a versatile impact player and a starter on a deep Crimson Tide team. 

He is one of the youngest players in the draft at just 18 years old, and has shown flashes of being an extremely capable defender and rebounder, with reasonable scoring capabilities, too. 

Clowney's defensive versatility, mobility and intelligence make him a very intriguing prospect for teams looking for a developmental piece, as he still has room for more physical maturing. 

The majority of mock drafts have Clowney projected in the mid-to-late first round, and that belief is reflected by his invitation to attend the draft's green room and be present to hear his name called. 

While it's not necessarily expected for Clowney to be drafted in the lottery, it's not entirely out of the question. In the 2021 draft, Josh Primo was expected to be drafted around the same range Clowney is being projected, but was taken by the Spurs at No. 12 in a surprise pick. 

Clowney's highest projection came from Kevin O'Connor's mock draft on The Ringer, where he slotted Clowney to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 14, where he would join former Alabama players Kira Lewis Jr. and Herb Jones. 

Clowney has worked out for the Pelicans in the pre-draft process, as well as the Indiana Pacers, who have picks No. 26 and 29 outside of their lottery pick at No. 7. 

Regardless of who picks him, Clowney will more than likely be Alabama's second first round pick of the night, also likely matching any other school. 

Charles Bediako

Sophomore center Charles Bediako was one of three Alabama players to enter their name in the NBA Draft while still maintaining  their college eligibility, joining guards Mark Sears and Jahvon Quinerly.

Unlike his counterparts, Bediako ultimately decided to remain in the draft, coming as a surprise to many including the Alabama coaching staff. 

As a prospect, Bediako has shown exactly what he is capable of being: a strong rim protector and interior defender who can also work the glass and run rim to rim. 

Where the issue comes is that the NBA Draft is all about potential in today's age. Players are almost always drafted for what they can be, not what they already are. In Bediako's case, it doesn't seem like there's much more he can add to his game to drastically improve, besides weight and discipline. 

On the positive side, there is absolutely a place for players like Bediako in the league today. He will certainly have an opportunity to be an impact shot blocker and rebounder, and there are always teams in need of depth at the center position. 

Bediako does not appear in the top 60 on hardly any draft boards, and he doesn't appear in two-round mock drafts either. Bediako did declare for the draft based on feedback he heard from teams he worked out for, though, so it's entirely possible that he received a second-round promise from one or more teams. 

The other possibility is that Bediako was told he'd capped out his collegiate stock, and that his best bet for making the league was by way of an undrafted free agent deal. Former Alabama guard Keon Ellis signed a two-way deal with the Sacramento Kings last season after going undrafted, and saw action throughout the season on both the Kings' NBA and G League teams. 

The most likely scenario for Bediako is getting a two-way undrafted free agent deal and carving out a place for himself in the league that way, but there is a chance he becomes the third Alabama player drafted tonight in what would make a historic night for the program. 

See also:

Alabama Basketball Newcomer Breakdown: Aaron Estrada

Alabama Basketball Newcomer Breakdown: Latrell Wrightsell Jr.