FSU Basketball Has Several Players Taken in Latest NBA Mock Drafts

FSU basketball could see several players picked in this June’s NBA Draft – at least that’s the way several mock drafts see it playing out.

With much of the attention being paid to last month’s NFL Draft, many people forgot that we are just about a month and a half from the NBA holding their selection meeting – and FSU basketball could be in for a decent night that doesn’t come around much for the program. In fact, if the Seminoles are lucky, they could see something take place that hasn’t happened in nearly a quarter century.

The ‘Noles know for a fact that they will have at least one player taken when all 30 NBA teams convene in Brooklyn come June 22nd, as Jonathan Isaac is a consensus lottery pick across the board of mock drafts from across the country. But the question will be: where does another former Seminole, Dwayne Bacon, go come next month.

Both players were recently invited to the NBA combine (with Isaac turing down the invitation) and some mock drafts have Bacon waiting a while to hear his name – while others have him joining Isaac in the first round (all teams are estimated by each different mock site – most of them updated last Thursday or Friday – as the NBA Draft Lottery won’t take place until May 16th):

NBADraft.net

Draft Expert.com

CBSSports.com (First Round Only)

"You better believe Brett Brown will design his defense around Isaac next season."

Bleacher Report.com (First Round Only)

"…The Minnesota Timberwolves already get plenty of offense from Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Jonathan Isaac’s defensive versatility in between could win the Wolves over.He is an asset in pick-and-roll coverage, and his ability to contest shots around the basket and switch around the perimeter should hold extra value in Minnesota."

Fansided.com (First Round Only)

"…having Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac fall into their laps at the No. 9 pick would be a pretty excellent outcome. A frontline of the future that features Harrison Barnes, Isaac and Nerlens Noel would give Dallas an interesting core to build around as it transitions into the post-Dirk Nowitzki era."

Florida State Seminoles Basketball

So, as you can see, it won’t be very long before fans of FSU basketball hear at least one former Seminole get called up and become the latest pro Nole in the NBA. If both Isaac and Bacon do get picked, it will be just the second time the school has had multiple picks in one draft since 1994 (with both Solomon Alabi and Ryan Reid being picked in the second round of the 2010 draft).

If both players get taken in the first round, it would be the first time for that feat since the 1993 Draft, when Sam Cassell and Doug Edwards were picked within the first 24 selections – which is the ONLY TIME in program history the Seminoles have had multiple first round picks.

On the flip side, no mock drafts have the third underclassman starter who came out this year – Xavier Rathan-Mayes being selected in either round. If XRM can somehow find a way to join Isaac and Bacon as one of the 60 players chosen, it would be just the second time in history that three Seminoles were picked in the same year – the only other time being in 1981 (Elvis Rolle, Mickey Dillard and Kris Anderson).