History beckons for Auburn at NBA Draft

The 2022 NBA Draft could serve as a historic event for the Auburn basketball program on Thursday. The Tigers have never had a player selected first overall or had two players picked in the first round of the draft. 

Thanks to the recruiting and development from head coach Bruce Pearl, that could very well change.

The Orlando Magic hold the first pick of the Draft and though they have worked out a number of prospects, Auburn star Jabari Smith is the odds-on favorite to be the pick.

Smith was a five-star recruit out of high school and certainly lived up to the hype of his high ranking. Averaging just under 17 points per game, Smith also collected 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game.

Despite standing at 6-foot-10, Smith is regarded as one of the best shooters in the draft after shooting 42% from the three-point line at Auburn.

Given Smith’s hot start to the season, Pearl said it did not take long for him to realize just how good Smith was.

“I knew he was, what a top-10 high school player? That's kind of where he was as a junior,” Pearl said. “As a senior, I think he started moving up the rankings a little bit. But I never really thought about him being the No. 1 player taken in the draft until, probably, the UConn game. And then, when I saw him compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis, three nights in a row against, you know, really good teams — 'OK. This one here's different. This one here is different.' And then all he did was just build on it from there.”

While at Auburn, Smith achieved a number of awards. Smith was the SEC Freshman of the Year, a part of the All-SEC First Team and Sports Illustrated’s All-American First Team and a six-time SEC Freshman of the Week.

Given the number of awards Smith won, it’s easy to see why he is regarded as one of the best prospects in the draft. Smith appears to be very confident in his spot in the draft as he only worked out for the teams with the top two picks - the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Smith’s main competition for the top spot in the draft is Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero. The Magic brought in both of those players for workouts as well.

If Smith is selected by the Magic, Auburn would join LSU and UCLA as the only three schools to have a No. 1 overall pick in the NBA, NFL and MLB drafts. Casey Mize was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2018 MLB Draft, and four Auburn players have been selected at the top spot in the NFL Draft (Cam Newton, Aundray Bruce, Bo Jackson and Tucker Frederickson).

Pearl is excited about the potential fit for Smith in Orlando.

"It should be awesome. Man, to be honest, I should be able to get a pretty good seat,” Pearl said. “I called John Hammond down there in Orlando, and I said, 'What do you think, John? Help a brother out.' I like their team, too. I like Jonathan Issac. They've got some good pieces. I don't know their whole roster, but they've got some good pieces. No matter where he goes, he's gonna win. I can tell you that."

Smith’s selection could mark the second time in three years that a Tiger is selected in the top five - joining Isaac Okoro who was the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft.

But Smith is not the only Auburn big man expected to hear his name called. Walker Kessler, Auburn’s starting center from last season, is a projected first-round pick as well.

Kessler had a historic season next to Smith down low. Prior to Kessler’s arrival, only one triple double had been recorded in Auburn’s history, but Kessler recorded two of his own, both with blocks in conference play.

After receiving limited playing time at North Carolina his freshman season, the seven-footer transferred to Auburn and showcased the skill that made him a five-star out of high school and a future NBA player.

Kessler averaged 4.6 blocks per contest which was the third most in the country. Combined with his 1.1 steals per game, Kessler was recognized as the NCAA and SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-SEC First Team. He was also a part of Sports Illustrated’s All-American Third Team.

Kessler is projected as a mid to late first-round pick and could join a contending team. Lineups featuring two centers like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers’ lineups from last season are growing more popular, so a team like the Milwaukee Bucks or Minnesota Timberwolves, who were both in the playoffs, could be teams to watch.

Kessler only shot 20% from deep in his lone season at Auburn, but Pearl is not too worried about his shooting as Kessler eyes the NBA.

“I do think he’s going to be a really good NBA 3-point shooter,” Pearl said. “He’s going to be somebody you can stick out there in a corner, and you better guard him — along the lines of a (Brook) Lopez. So, I’m excited for that. He’s going to have to shoot a better percentage, but he will because the first thing you got to do is be willing to take the shot, get your feet ready, the ball ready, your mind ready—and Walker has already had that transition.”

If Kessler’s first-round projection proves true, Auburn can have two first-round picks for the first time in program history.

For Pearl, having two players selected in the first round would serve as exactly what he wants at Auburn.

“You know, as you walk into our locker room, one of the very first things you see on the wall is, ‘Make History.’ It’s right in the middle of our AU logo,” Pearl said. “We put that up years ago because there has been great history and tradition of Auburn basketball. And I wanted the guys that come to Auburn to try to add to that history.”

The draft takes place on June 23 and will be broadcasted on ESPN at 7 p.m. CST. Both Smith and Kessler accepted invites to the NBA Draft’s green room in Brooklyn, New York.