The SEC is proving once again why it should be deemed an “everything” conference in the eyes of sports fans.

For the first time in league history, the South Eastern Conference has produced the first overall pick in the NFL draft and the NBA draft in the same year. 

With the Minnesota Timberwolves first overall selection of shooting guard Anthony Edwards from Georgia, he joins Bengals first-overall NFL draft pick and former LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow in making history for the SEC in 2020. 

Edwards joins five other first-overall NBA draft picks from the SEC in the league’s history, including Shaquille O’Neal from LSU in 1992, John Wall from Kentucky in 2010, Anthony Davis from Kentucky in 2012, Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky in 2015, and Ben Simmons from LSU in 2016. 

The SEC has produced 19 first overall NFL draft picks in its history, most recently star NFL players like the Detroit’s Mathew Stafford from Georgia in 2009, New England’s Cam Newton from Auburn in 2011, Tennessee’s Jadaveon Clowney out of South Carolina in 2014, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett out of Texas A&M in 2017, and Burrow in 2020. Additionally, the SEC set a record with 15 first-round selections in 2020, the most ever from a single conference in the first round.

 The first round of the NBA draft was a successful one for the SEC last night.  Beyond the first overall pick, the conference had six total first round picks, including Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr, who was drafted to the New Orleans Pelicans with the 13th pick. Overall, the SEC would end the draft with 12 players drafted between the two rounds.

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Alabama Basketball Players Who've Played in the NBA

 

 

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