The NBA Draft is Thursday night, and it seems likely to go down in history as the Draft of Victor. But it’s a dangerous thing to expect that one star will define a draft. While the 2023 class seems kind of random and uneven, there are some certain jewels lurking.

Here are 10 of the SEC’s best draft prospects.

10. Colin Castleton, Florida

The 6-11 Florida product seems like a solid NBA journeyman. I’d rather take a flyer on Castleton than Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe or Arkansas’s Ricky Council IV. Last season, Castleton averaged 16.0 points and 7.7 boards per game. He was a competent shot blocker, a decent rebounder, and shot 73% at the foul line. An NBA star? No, probably not. But a serviceable big man with no glaring weakness? Yep.

9. Jordan Walsh, Arkansas

Walsh, a 6-7 wing, flashed the decent size, incredibly long arms and physical tools the NBA covets during his 1 season at Arkansas. That said, he scored just 7.1 points per game, shot 27.8% from 3-point range, and will be drafted more on the value of his potential than on anything certain. Can he develop an offensive skill set in the NBA? It can happen, but plenty will depend on fit.

8. Julian Phillips, Tennessee

Phillips, a 6-8 wing, is not terribly different from Walsh as a prospect. He’s tall, thin and skilled. But in 1 year in Knoxville, he scored 8.3 points per game, shot 23.9% from 3-point range, and struggled to define any kind of offensive role. Years ago, both Walsh and Phillips would have spent next year in the SEC, putting the finishing touches on skill sets that could make both 2024 first-round picks. Now, they’ll get a 2-way deal with the G League and try to learn these same lessons in Fort Wayne or Stockton.

7. GG Jackson, South Carolina

This might be the long-shot flyer to take. Jackson, a 6-9 freshman, did absolutely no good for his NBA future with a purposeless season at South Carolina. What did anybody learn about him there? He’s good, but sometimes looked overwhelmed, scoring 15.4 points per game but shooting below 39%, and managing just 27 assists all season. He struggled with the ball in his hands and didn’t look particularly explosive playing off the ball. It’s hard to say how much of that was Jackson and how much was being saddled with an awful team. He can’t help but benefit from a fresh start.

6. Kobe Brown, Missouri

Unlike the guys above, Brown is about as finished of a player as he will ever be. He’s 6-7, 240 and has built a nice and complete game around a decent NBA body. He’s learned to handle the ball reasonably well, become a capable perimeter shooter, seems like a good teammate; there’s a lot to like. The negative is that his upside is fairly limited. Brown is what you get from a 4-year player in an era when plenty of guys sprint out the door after a year. While he’ll need less coaching to contribute to an NBA team this fall and winter, it’s hard to imagine him being a star in the league.

5. Noah Clowney, Alabama

Clowney, on the other hand, is still a guy with a big ceiling above him. Despite being one of the less heralded recruits on Alabama’s roster, it’s hard to keep a 6-10 guy who can shoot the perimeter shot, rebound and block shots out of the NBA. Averaging 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, Clowney gained a valuable year in the shadow of Brandon Miller, which is how he’ll operate in the NBA. He won’t be anybody’s first option, but he can keep defenses honest, contribute on defense, and grow into a starter, probably sooner than most would expect.

4. Nick Smith, Arkansas

We don’t know much about Smith from his fractured half season at Arkansas. He’s young, athletic, and a pure scorer, averaging 12.5 points while battling injuries throughout the season. Those injuries are concerning, though. Smith is the ultimate draft gamble.

The 6-5 wing was the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class, a McDonald’s All-American, etc., etc.

He could end up as an NBA All-Star or be out of the league in a couple years. For that matter, he could get picked in the late lottery or slide into the second round. He’s a hard guy to figure.

3. Cason Wallace, Kentucky

Kentucky guards are perennially underrated and Wallace will probably join that group. Could he be the next Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Immanuel Quickley? Absolutely. Wallace, 6-3, 193, is a little short, is not quite a dead-eye perimeter shooter, but does have enough tools to put together a very solid NBA career. He can handle or play off the ball, he’ll defend and scrap. The biggest question — and one which probably defines whether he’s a 6th or 7th man or a solid starter — is whether Wallace can create his own shot at the next level. Kentucky’s run of NBA success might just jump Wallace into the low end of the lottery on Thursday.

2. Anthony Black, Arkansas

Black had a great season for Arkansas, showing superior passing, excellent athleticism and occasional flashes of permiter shooting. If only his stroke were a little more consistent (30% from trey, on his way to 12.8 points per game). Black won’t need a ton of coaching on defense and that, combined with his unselfish play and elite ball skills, should land him high in the lottery. He’ll benefit from a team with a few established players, because Black is the kind of player who will make the guys around him better at the next level.

1. Brandon Miller, Alabama

The off-court questions are as obvious as the on-court talent. It’s the rest of the decisions that might give NBA teams pause, particularly in the wake of the recent Ja Morant issues. On the court, the fluid 6-9 Miller has it all. Size, strength, ability to create, a smooth shot, and some of the competitive instinct that suggests that anybody except San Antonio that passes on Miller (sorry, Victor Wembanyama is that good) may be doing a very foolish thing. He was the class of the SEC throughout the season, and but for potential off-court distraction, he’ll be an immediate 20 point per game scorer in the NBA.