Illinois Basketball: Golden State Warriors pick Brandin Podziemski in 2023 NBA Draft

While the Illinois basketball team won’t have a player selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, we do have a former player who was just picked.

Brad Underwood and the Illini coaching staff have done a great job identifying and bringing in talent. They were able to land Ayo Dosunmu. We snagged Kofi Cockburn a year later. These types of players have been sprinkled throughout every recruiting class.

Sometimes the great players don’t come with a high ranking either. That was the case with Brandin Podziemski.

On April 13, 2021, the 6-foot-5 guard committed to Illinois, and just two years and two months later, Podziemski heard his name called during the 2023 NBA Draft.

With the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Podziemski. This is a monumental moment in this kid’s life and one that he has been working for his entire career.

Seeing Brandin Podziemski getting picked in the 2023 NBA Draft is a bittersweet moment for Illinois basketball fans

It is amazing seeing Podziemski walk across the NBA Draft stage. He has worked hard and has earned this trip to The Association. As a supporter of the talented guard, it thrills me to witness this moment. As a diehard Illinois fan, it also gets me wondering; what could have been?

Coming out of St. John’s Northwestern, Podziemski was a four-star recruit who rarely saw the court for the Illini. Playing in just 16 games with zero starts, the former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball averaged just 1.4 points for Underwood’s Illinois squad.

Podziemski was a big-time scorer in high school, and he never got the chance to show that ability in Champaign. It always blew my mind that he wasn’t seeing the court, especially with Illinois’ need for points and shooting.

And then it happened. Podziemski entered the transfer portal after his freshman year. April 13, 2022, was a bad day for the Illini. We lost a player who could have done some special things for the program.

Podziemski would go on to average 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 43.8% from three-point range with Santa Clara. Illinois fans were left with a massive what-if in the history books.

At the end of the day, Podziemski was great at the high school level. He was great at the college level. I firmly believe he can be great at the NBA level. This kid is special, and I can’t wait to see him shine on the big stage. Congrats, Podz!