NCAA Basketball: Top 10 pending 2023 NBA Draft decisions to watch next month

8. Chris Livingston – Kentucky Wildcats

Usually, Kentucky has multiple players with 1st-round projections for the NBA Draft. They have one this year in freshman Cason Wallace, projected to go in the top 20. He hasn’t officially left yet but it’s all but assured that he’s gone.

The other player to watch is Chris Livingston, a former top-10 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class that started 26 of 34 games this past season. He averaged just 6.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg and was the 5th option on offense on the court. He had just seven games in scoring figures but in the final 10 games of the season, the 6’6 forward had a few games that showed his potential.

The freshman had 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Tennessee, along with 10 points and 15 rebounds against Florida. Livingston finished the season with 11 points in 38 minutes versus Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. His rebounding numbers were fairly impressive, considering he played next to the leading rebounder in NCAA Basketball, Oscar Tshiebwe.

The athleticism and overall potential Livingston possesses can’t be easily replaced and the sophomore version of him likely will be better than most of the newcomers. He’s not a clear 1st-round pick but the logjam for minutes with the Wildcats will push him out. And there’s a greater than a 0% chance that he could transfer as well.