2023 Crimson Tide NBA Draft Preview

Going into the 2021-2022 college basketball season, Alabama had high hopes.

The Tide brought in five-star and projected lottery pick J.D. Davison, and the duo of Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly were looking like emerging stars. A disappointing season that saw many of Bama's best players underwhelm; however, plummeted the draft stocks of the Alabama hopefuls.

The 2022 NBA Draft saw just one former Tide player hear their name called. With pick No. 53, the Boston Celtics selected Davison, adding the explosive guard to their near championship caliber roster. 

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Keon Ellis and Jaden Shackelford both went undrafted despite preseason hype, and were picked up by NBA teams as free agents with Ellis joining the Kings and Shackelford joining the Thunder.

Looking ahead to this season, here are some of the players that potentially have a chance of getting drafted next year for the Tide.

Freshmen Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley are in very similar situations to that of Davison last season. Both were highly recruited players and have a lot of hype surrounding their names for next year's draft. If they are able to live up to expectations and lead the Tide to a deep run in March, the pair could easily both go in the first round. 

Quinerly, on the other hand, looks to be a player that has unfortunately missed the window to becoming a top end pick. The Hackensack, NJ native turns 24 this November and is coming off not only a disappointing season, but an ACL tear as well. Even if the senior has a great year, there are still flaws in his game that could turn teams away.

At this point, Quinerly's best chance at getting drafted is likely with a monster season and deep postseason run. 

Finally, Nimari Burnett is a player that has a lot of question marks, but could turn into an elite prospect. The former Texas Tech transfer was forced to miss all of last season after suffering his own torn ACL, but is ready for 2022. Coach Oats has spoken very highly of Burnett and his skillset, specifically mentioning his improved shooting. In his lone season with the Red Raiders, Burnett averaged 5.3 points 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

The potential is definitely there for the Chicago native, and with a breakout season, Burnett has a shot of hearing his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft.

This year will be a fresh start for the Tide with an almost completely new roster of young freshmen and transfers. If this year's team can reach its potential, multiple players could hear their name called by Adam Silver on draft night next summer.