Meet eight of the newest NBA players: Anthony Black, Jarace Walker, Gradey Dick, Brandin Podziemski, Cam Whitmore, Leonard Miller, Jalen Wilson and Isaiah Wong
June 22, 2023
By Dylan Tehada
The NBA Draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans and players, as dreams finally come to fruition after years of hard work and dedication to the sport. The 2023 NBA Draft took place at the Barclays Center in New York on June 22, 2023. Out of the 58 total picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, 8 of them trained with Coach Packie Turner in preparation for the beginning of their NBA careers. Here at UPB we are excited to see these players embark on their NBA journey and wish them the best of luck in their career!
Anthony Black
Anthony Black will be taking his elite size for a guard and playmaking ability to the Orlando Magic who selected him with the 6th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Black is a 6’7’’ guard from Duncanville, Texas. The 19 year old was an integral piece to the University of Arkansas' success last season averaging 12.8 points per game and leading the team with 3.9 assists per game. After his only year with the Razorbacks, he made the all SEC second team and SEC All freshman team and was the only player in the SEC to be in the top 25 in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocked shots, and steals.
Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker will be bringing his elite strength and two way instincts to the Indiana Pacers who selected him with the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Walker is a 6’8’’ forward from New Freedom, Pennsylvania. The 19 year old averaged 11.2 points, 1.3 blocks, and 6.8 rebounds in his one and only season at the University of Houston and won the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Walker is the first player from the University of Houston to be drafted in the Top 10 since Hakeem Olajuwon. Walker will be bringing his elite strength and two way instincts to the Indiana Pacers who selected him with the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Gradey Dick
Gradey Dick will be bringing his silky smooth jumper and high basketball IQ to the Toronto Raptors who drafted him with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Dick is a 6’8 guard from Wichita, Kansas. The 19 year old played college ball at the University of Kansas for one year and declared for the NBA draft after a very successful freshman year. In his one and only year at the University of Kansas, he set the school record for threes made by a freshman with 83 three point field goals. He averaged 14.1 points per game on 44% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from the three point line. He took home some prestigious hardware at the end of the 2022-2023 season after winning the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year.
Brandin Podziemski
Brandin Podziemski will be taking his elite scoring production and smooth jumper to the Golden State Warriors who drafted him with the 19th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The left hander is a 6’5’’ guard from Greenfield, Wisconsin. The 20 year old averaged 19.9 points per game in his first season with the University of Santa Clara and earned First Team WCC and WCC Co Player of the year. Podziemski is now in company with Steve Nash and Jalen Williams as the third player from Santa Clara University to be drafted in the first round.
Cam Whitmore
Cameron Whitmore, known for his elite athleticism and above the rim play, will be bringing his talents to the Houston Rockets after being drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Whitmore is a 6’7’ forward born and raised in Odenton, Maryland. The 19-year-old Villanova phenom took the Big East by storm after averaging 12.5 points per game on 47.8% shooting from the field. After a very productive freshman year and overcoming an early season thumb injury, Whitmore went on to win the Big East Freshman of the Year award and was a unanimous selection for the Big East All-Freshman team.
Leonard Miller
Leonard Miller will be taking his elite height and rebounding instincts to the Minnesota Timberwolves who selected him with the 33rd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Miller is a 6’10’’ forward from Scarborough, Ontario. The 19 year old showed flashes in his first season with the GLeague Ignite averaging 18 points a game and 11 rebounds a game. He has represented Canada at multiple levels playing for Canada's U23 team and representing Canada in the FIBA U16 Americas Championship. Miller was named the 2022 BioSteel Canadian Boys Player of the year and earned the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association MVP award.
Jalen Wilson
Jalen Wilson will be taking his smooth jumper and prestigious college basketball resume with him to Brooklyn Nets who drafted him in the second round with the 51st pick. Wilson is a 6’8’’ forward from Denton, Texas. The 22 year old is perhaps the most decorated basketball player in the University of Kansas’ history. He has won Big 12 Player of the Year, has been nominated as a finalist for the Wooden Award, and won the NCAA national title in 2022 amongst other career accomplishments. In his fourth year at the University of Kansas, Wilson took a leap for the Jayhawks leading the team with 20.1 points per game and 8.2 rebounders per game.
Isaiah Wong
After leading the Hurricanes to a Final Four appearance in the 2023 NCAA tournament, Isaiah Wong declared for the 2023 NBA draft and will be taking his creative ballhanding and savvy shot creation to the Indiana Pacers after being selected with the 55th pick. Wong is a 6’4’’ guard from Piscataway, New Jersey. The 22 year old spent four years playing ball at the University of Miami tallying 1,866 total points, 539 total rebounds, and 289 assists. After a slight dip in production during his third year, Wong bounced back strong in this most recent season averaging 16.2 points per game, increasing his three point percentage 8 percentage points shooting 38% from behind the arc, and posting a career high in assists with 118 on the year.
