Illinois Basketball: Multiple Illini rising on 2023 NBA Draft big board

Illinois basketball is looking at having multiple players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Coming into the 2022-23 campaign, the Illini had multiple players rumored to be potential NBA targets. Through six games, the NBA-type players are starting to shake out a little bit, and the cream is starting to rise to the top.

In the latest BasketballNews.com 2023 NBA Draft Big Board, they have the overall No. 1 picking being an obvious one. Victor Wembanyama is the surest No. 1 draft pick since LeBron James back in 2003.

On this big board, roughly, the top 30 players should theoretically be first-round NBA Draft picks. Not only do the Illini have a potential first-round pick, but we have two players who could end up sneaking into the top 30.

The 2023 NBA Draft will have multiple Illinois basketball players selected.

The first Illinois player we get to on the BasketballNews.com 2023 NBA Draft Big Board is Terrence Shannon Jr. He has moved up in the rankings, as his stock was a mid-second rounder just about a month ago.

Shannon is now projected as the No. 29 player for the 2023 NBA Draft. That would make him a late first-round draft pick. Back in October, he was the No. 49 player on this big board.

Why did Shannon move up in the rankings? I think it is simple. Look at his start to the 2022-23 campaign. He is averaging 20.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while hitting 47.1% of his three-point shots. That alone makes him a dangerous player at the next level.

Shannon’s defense is also solid. He does a great job moving his feet, he can get around screens well, and he gets in good guarding position so he doesn’t rack up the fouls. Shannon is also averaging 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Let’s also not forget, this kid has the body of an NBA player. He is the complete package.

You won’t have to go down the list too much further to find the other Illinois basketball player on BasketballNews.com’s 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.

At No. 40 on the big board is Coleman Hawkins. Back in October, they had Hawkins at No. 44, so a four-spot jump is something to keep an eye on.

I think the length and three-point shooting ability of Hawkins is what have NBA scouts and evaluators intrigued. He is an athletic 6-foot-10 player who loves to take three-pointers and hits them at a clip of 36.8%. If he continues at this pace, it wouldn’t shock me to see Hawkins sneak into the top 30.

There was another change on the big board as well. Back in October, Matthew Mayer was listed as the No. 56 player on the big board. He is no longer projected on this list. This probably has something to do with his 6.3 points per game and 28% from behind the three-point arc this season.

Illinois is laced with talent this season, and two of our players are being looked at as potential first-round NBA Draft picks. That is exciting to hear. Hopefully, we can continue having these guys rise on the big board.