One last mock draft roundup ahead of tonight's NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is less than 12 hours away. A handful of former Kentucky Wildcats will be in consideration to hear their names called by league commissioner Adam Silver. Only All-SEC Freshman Cason Wallace, who has been invited to the Green Room, is expected to get picked in the first round — potentially as a lottery selection — but Oscar Tshiebwe, Chris Livingston, and Jacob Toppin will all be somewhere lower down the list on NBA team’s big boards.

Outside of the top three picks (which expect to be 7-foot-4 French sensation Victor Wembanyama followed by some combination of Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller), almost anything could happen in this year’s draft. It only takes one franchise to blow up everyone’s big board with an unexpected pick early in the lottery. Could Wallace be that shocking draftee? Will Livingston or Tshiebwe hear their names called in the second round? Is Toppin even in draft consideration? (spoiler: he’s not)

As we inch closer and closer to tonight’s draft, let’s dive into the latest mocks to see where these former Wildcats are projected to land. The Chicago Bulls (No. 57) and Philadelphia 76ers (No. 58) forfeited their second-round picks, meaning this year’s draft will only have 58 selections instead of the usual 60. Of the 12 notable mocks I found across the interwebs, only CBS Sports did not predict the second round.

Below are the mock draft predictions for former Kentucky players. The 2023 NBA Draft is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN/ABC live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Cason Wallace

ESPN: No. 18, Miami Heat
The Athletic (Zach Harper): No. 14, New Orleans Pelicans
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): No. 15, Atlanta Hawks
SB Nation: No. 14, New Orleans Pelicans
CBS Sports: No. 13, Toronto Raptors
The Ringer: No. 16, Utah Jazz
Yahoo! Sports: No. 15, Atlanta Hawks
Bleacher Report: No. 15, Atlanta Hawks
Sporting News: No. 14, New Orleans Pelicans
NBAdraft.net: No. 8, Washington Wizards
Tankathon: No. 13, Toronto Raptors
USA Today: No. 14, New Orleans Pelicans

Average selection: 14.1 –> New Orleans Pelicans

Chris Livingston

ESPN: No. 52, Washington Wizards
The Athletic (Zach Harper): No. 47, Los Angeles Lakers
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): No. 46, Atlanta Hawks
SB Nation: No. 48, Los Angeles Clippers
CBS Sports: N/A
The Ringer: No. 43, Portland Trail Blazers
Yahoo! Sports: No. 47, Los Angeles Lakers
Bleacher Report: No. 50, Oklahoma City Thunder
Sporting News: No. 47, Los Angeles Lakers
NBAdraft.net: Undrafted
Tankathon: No. 53, Minnesota Timberwolves
USA Today: Undrafted

Average selection: 48.1 –> Los Angeles Clippers (undrafted in two mocks)

Oscar Tshiebwe

ESPN: Undrafted
The Athletic (Zach Harper): Undrafted
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): Undrafted
SB Nation: Undrafted
CBS Sports: N/A
The Ringer: Undrafted
Yahoo! Sports: No. 54, Sacramento Kings
Bleacher Report: No. 58, Milwaukee Bucks
Sporting News: No. 56, Memphis Grizzlies
NBAdraft.net: No. 54, Sacramento Kings
Tankathon: No. 57, Washington Wizards
USA Today: No. 57, Washington Wizards

Average selection: 56.0 –> Memphis Grizzlies (undrafted in five mocks)