When the 2018 NBA Draft takes place next week in Brooklyn, former Alabama PG Collin Sexton is expected to be an early first-round pick.

The freshman point guard had a great season last year, leading the Crimson Tide to a victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual-champion Villanova.

On Wednesday, coach Avery Johnson joined WJOX’s 3-Man Front and said he thinks Sexton will have an easy transition to the NBA (via 247Sports):

“I think his speed, his high basketball IQ,” Johnson said. “He’s a very explosive offensive player, and because of the space that he’s going to have on the court in the NBA because of the guys that he’s going to be playing with, it’s going to be lights out.

“I mean the kid is a high-level player. He plays both ends of the floor. He’s not a one-way player, he’s a two-way player. And because he’s got to guard some of the best point guards in the world he’s going to be very competitive. He’s got a lot of confidence, mental and physical toughness. So, I think a lot of attributes about his game translate to the NBA game.”

Currently, SI.com has Sexton projected to go to the Los Angeles Clippers in the No. 12 overall spot.

Considering the Clippers lost Chris Paul to the Rockets before last season, there’s a hole to be filled at the point guard position, and Johnson sounds confident his former player is up to the task.