Set to take place June 22, the 2023 NBA Draft could see many former high school prospects from Florida taken among the first 14 overall picks. Here are six of those names who could come off the board, along with a few others who also could hear their names called early.
Jarace Walker
We begin with Walker, the first of several collegiate freshmen on this list. He very well could be the first former Florida high school player selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he’s a potential top-five overall pick. A five-star power forward from IMG Academy’s 2022 class, Walker is coming off a 2022-23 season at Houston in which he started 35 of 36 games and averaged 11.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.3 BPG. He was named Second Team All-AAC and AAC Freshman of the Year.
Jalen Hood-Schifino
There is some debate regarding who will be the next Florida high school product selected after Walker, but a strong argument can be made for Hood-Schifino in that spot. A five-star combo guard in the 2022 class from Montverde Academy, Hood-Schifino is coming off his lone season at Indiana, where he started in all 32 games to average 13.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He earned honors that included Third Team All-Big 10 and Big 10 Freshman of the Year.
Taylor Hendricks
Arguably the former Florida high school prospect whose 2023 NBA Draft stock rose the most across the last calendar year was Hendricks, who was a four-star power forward in the 2022 class from Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale. Playing in-state collegiately at UCF, Hendricks posted a massive 2022-23 season, starting in all 34 games, averaging 15.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.7 BPG, and shooting 39.4% percent from three-point range to earn Second Team All-AAC honors.
Keyonte George
One of the state’s top players from the 2022 class, George, a five-star shooting guard from IMG Academy, also could be a draft pick this June. George started in all 33 games last season at Baylor, averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.1 SPG to earn honors that included Second Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
Jett Howard
A teammate of Walker and George on that 2021-22 IMG Academy team, Howard is another potential draft pick this month. A four-star small forward in the 2022 class, Howard is coming off a freshman season at Michigan in which he started all 29 games and averaged 14.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2 APG, and 36.8% from three-point range to earn Third Team All-Big 10 honors.
Brice Sensabaugh
We conclude with Sensabaugh, a player who could sneak into the back half of the draft after a strong freshman season at Ohio State. Sensabaugh, who was a four-star small forward in the 2022 class at Lake Highland Prep, started in 21 of 33 games last season for the Buckeyes, averaging 16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 APG and 40.5% three-point shooting to earn Big 10 All-Freshman honors.
In conclusion, here are three additional former Florida high school players who potentially could be selected at some point in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft:
- Dariq Whitehead (Montverde Academy, Duke)
- Kris Murray (DME Academy, Iowa)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (IMG Academy, Illinois)
