Dereon Seabron is going to the NBA. The only question is, will it be next year?

Dereon Seabron is a new name for a lot of NBA Draft junkies, but NC State fans saw this coming.

Actually, that’d be a lie. You didn’t see this coming. We didn’t either. Nobody did.

Seabron committed to NC State as a mostly unknown 3-star prospect out of Norfolk, VA. His only other offers were from ECU, Minnesota, Providence, and VCU. Upon arriving at NC State he was redshirted (academic redshirt). The first time NC State fans got to see him play was last season’s opener against Charleston Southern. It was a mostly uneventful debut where he logged 15 minutes and scored 6 points. He played sparingly and had some decent moments, but most of last year he looked like he was still trying to figure things out. He was was a little hesitant on his drives, and rarely attempted an outside shot. What stood out to most NC State fans is how dangerous he could be on the break.

Then in late February, with NC State struggling (losing 7 of their last 9), Keatts made a change. Seabron started to get minutes.

On February 20th against Wake Forest, he logged 33 minutes, led the team with 13 points, and grabbed 9 rebounds. This got Wolfpack fans’ attention.

He struggled over the next two games, but then he gave us another taste. On March 3rd, in a must-win game for NC State, Seabron went for 17 points and 13 boards, notching his first double-double. Then in the first round ACC tournament loss, he went for 11 and 8.

Coming into this season, Seabron was expected to be a contributor. But one of the best players in the ACC? Not a chance.

Then games started and Dereon Seabron just looked different. He was bigger, stronger, he looked sure of himself, but the biggest thing is that over the offseason, he learned to play a lot more physical.

Seabron was always extremely fast, took huge strides, moved well laterally, and had a good handle. But the question was; If he can’t shoot, aren’t teams just going to sag off and mob him if he tries to force it into the lane?

Yep, that’s what they are doing, but Seabron has become a bully. He is driving with purpose and demanding defenders step up and get set. He’s inviting contact, not getting bumped off his line, and protecting the basketball like a running back (or at times cuffing it) hiding the ball from defender’s swipes. What we’re also seeing is that when he gets through the initial contact, he’s using elite-level footwork to slither around help-side defenders and get to the rim.

Seabron is also changing speeds on his drive. His initial attack is as if he’s shot out of a cannon, but he’s able to stop on a dime or shift down as he’s taking his continuation steps, which settle him as he goes to finish.

The thing is, we didn’t see most of that last year. Seabron has enhanced nearly every aspect of his game this offseason, which is amazing. Overall of my years watching NC State only Manny Bates has such a drastic change in a single off-season. (Note: Both were under Kevin Keatts). Seabron had simply decided he wasn’t going to let the league dictate the type of player he would become, he made the decision.

Now, 15 games into the season, Dereon Seabron is likely one of the leading candidates for ACC Player of the Year. He’s 3rd in the ACC in scoring. He’s leading the league in rebounds per game. He’s 9th in FG%, 1st in free throws attempted, 2nd in free throws made, 13th in assists per game, and 12th in steals. He’s quite literally doing it all.

While those types of stats have NC State fans buzzing, they also have NBA scouts starting to pay close attention.

Just yesterday, Jonathan Wasserman, formally of NBADraft.net, and now the head of scouting and NBA Draft Analysis for Buzzfeed just moved Seabron into the first round of his 2022 NBA mock draft.

Seabron in the first 👀 A quick rise https://t.co/JSkTSRvlKh

— Hunter Cruse (@HunterCruse14) January 5, 2022

Wasserman has Seabron just sneaking in, going 28th overall to the Jazz.

Now, this is just one projection. Most draft boards don’t have Seabron on them just yet, but if he keeps this up, that might change.

However, it’s not likely that Seabron gets into lottery pick range unless he starts to really showcase his range from 3. Which actually might be starting to happen.

Seabron started the season just 1-16 from long range (6%), but since then he’s heated up. Actually, over the past 5 games, Seabron is 4-8 from 3pt range (50%).

That said, I think at this point, Seabron isn’t quite confident enough in his 3 to put up the volume that NBA scouts would want to see, but I do think they are intrigued by his talent. I do think if he keeps this up he’d be a mid to late 1st round pick in 2022.

Usually, that would be enough for a guy to leave college and go pro. But I’m not so sure with Seabron, and I say that because I think his move to point guard has changed everything. Looking at the write-ups from NBA scouts, they seemed to view Seabron as how he was being used, as a wing or a slasher.

Now, Seabron will likely be seen as more of a project guy at the 2 or 3 if he’s selected in 2022. They’ll want to refine his jumper and bulk him up a bit. Will that work out? You never know, and that’s why I think teams are likely to pass on him early in the draft and why there is a chance he’d slide into the second round.

But Dereon Seabron has lottery pick potential. He’s got lottery pick speed, lottery pick size, lottery pick physicality, and lottery pick finishing ability. If Seabron goes pro after this year, I wouldn’t blame him, but I also believe he’d be leaving a lot of money on the table. With another off-season like the one he just had, he could hone his jumper and continue to get more and more experience at the point. All he has to do is start hitting shots from outside, making smart reads on his drives, and be a little more vocal with his leadership, and there’s no doubt in my mind this kid is a top 10 pick in 2023.

And what’s the difference between lottery pick and 2nd round money. Eh, only $15 million guaranteed.

So yeah, it’s a little early to be having this conversation. We’re just 15 games into the season, but it’s dumb to act like the NBA buzz around Seabron isn’t picking up. What’s the point in ignoring it? It’s great for NC State, it’s great for Dereon Seabron and it’s great for Kevin Keatts (who took a 3-star kid and turned him into an NBA prospect). The only people who want to put their fingers in their ears about this topic are NC State fans who don’t want to see the kid go (I don’t blame them either).

So what will Seabron do? Will he keep up the pace he’s on? (I think he will.) Will NBA scouts start becoming regulars at NC State games? (I think they will). Will this be Seabron’s last season with the Pack? (Well, that’s the $15 million question, isn’t it.)