The 2018 NBA Draft saw five SEC players — Kentucky’s Kevin Knox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alabama’s Collin Sexton, Mizzou’s Michael Porter Jr. and Texas A&M’s Robert Williams — come off the board in the first round.

Now that it is over and done, though, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2019 NBA Draft, and on Friday, SB Nation released their early look at how the 2019 first round will play out.

Obviously, some of these freshmen have never taken the court in the SEC before, but here are the eight SEC players SB Nation thinks will go in Round 1:

  • No. 11 — Jontay Porter, F/C, Mizzou
  • No. 12 — Keldon Johnson, G, Kentucky
  • No. 14 — Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas
  • No. 15 — Darius Garland, G, Vanderbilt
  • No. 18 — Herb Jones, F, Alabama
  • No. 21 — Naz Reid, C, LSU
  • No. 29 — E.J. Montgomery, F, Kentucky
  • No. 30 — P.J. Washington, F/C, Kentucky

Obviously, a lot can change between now and next June, but this just goes to show how loaded the SEC should be next season.

The conference is becoming much more balanced in basketball, and that trend should continue when the 2018-19 season tips off this fall.