Orlando Magic select Anthony Black in 2023 NBA Draft

The Orlando Magic have selected former Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Black played one season for the Razorbacks and is now the team’s second one-and-done draftee, following first-rounder Moses Moody in 2021.

As a freshman, Black started all 36 of his appearances. The 6-foot-6 guard finished second on the team in points per game and helped them get to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champion UConn.

He averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game. A very solid shot, he went 45.3% from the field, 30.1% from deep and 70.5% from the free-throw line.

Prior to joining Eric Musselman and the Hogs, Black attended Coppell High School in Duncanville, Texas before moving to Duncanville High School for his senior season.

He was a consensus five-star prospect and in the top 20 on all major recruiting sites. Black was the No. 15 overall prospect in the nation in the 2022 signing class, according to the On3 Consensus, and the No. 2 recruit out of the Lone Star State, behind only fellow draftee Cason Wallace.

Black joins Arkansas’s ever-growing list of NBA draft picks. They’ve had one in each of the last four drafts – Jaylin Williams, Moody, Isaiah Joe and Daniel Gafford – after a drought of four years.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Anthony Black

Leading up to the draft, analysts pegged Black as a high-to-mid lottery selection. His current player comparisons are Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.

“Black is an excellent on-ball defender and a willing passer who prefers to set up teammates rather than create his own shot, but his size is his biggest asset,” according to RotoWire. “Black is essentially a point guard with the body of a wing, enabling him to work over and around defenders with ease.

“He’s a good finisher at the rim and an above-average athlete, but operating as a playmaker in the pick-and-roll is where he’s most comfortable. At this stage in his development, Black is not a great three-point or free-throw shooter, so developing confidence and better mechanics will be a priority.”