The NBA will hold its 78th draft on Wednesday and Thursday. Thirty first-round picks will be made starting at 7 p.m. CDT Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBA teams have drafted 49 players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the first round.

Divide the NBA Draft’s history into thirds, and there’s a sweet spot in the middle for prospects from Alabama high schools and colleges. In the 26 drafts from 1973 through 1998, 27 players with Alabama basketball roots got picked in the first round.

But the 21st century did not continue the momentum. After Auburn center Mamadou N’Diaye went to the Denver Nuggets in 2000 and Alabama forward Gerald Wallace joined the Sacramento Kings in 2001 as first-rounders, only three of the next 16 NBA drafts included players with Alabama basketball roots among the opening 30 selections.

After seven consecutive drafts had passed without a first-rounder from an Alabama high school or college, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Alabama guard Collin Sexton at No. 8 in 2018, triggering an outburst of 11 first-round picks with Alabama basketball roots during a six-year selection streak entering Wednesday night’s choices.

The first-round NBA Draft picks with Alabama basketball roots over the previous 25 years of the event’s history were:

2000: Mamadou N’Diaye (Auburn), No. 26 by the Denver Nuggets

N’Diaye broke Charles Barkley’s school record for blocked shots at Auburn, but he didn’t duplicate Sir Charles’ NBA success. The 7-foot center never played for the Nuggets, who traded him to the Toronto Raptors, and N’Diaye had three more stops in front of him during his five NBA seasons. In 69 NBA regular-season games, N’Diaye averaged 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.1 assists per contest. On Nov. 4, 2002, N’Diaye blocked eight shots in the Raptors’ 109-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

2001: Gerald Wallace (Childersburg High School, Alabama), No. 25 by the Sacramento Kings

A 6-foot-7 forward who played one season at Alabama, Wallace had a 14-year NBA career during which he was traded five times and left the Kings for the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft. Wallace reached career highs for the Bobcats in the 2007-08 season with averages of 19.4 points and 3.5 assists per game. “Crash” played in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. That season, he reached a career high with an average of 10.0 rebounds per game. In 832 NBA regular-season games, Wallace averaged 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals. Wallace led the NBA with an average of 2.5 steals per game in the 2005-06 season.

2008: D.J. White (Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa), No. 29 by the Detroit Pistons

The 6-foot-9 power forward went from Hillcrest to Indiana, where he averaged 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a senior. On draft night, the Pistons traded White to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that brought second-round pick and former Parker High School and UAB standout Walter Sharpe to Detroit. In 2013, White was traded by Boston in a deal that brought former Childersburg High School and Alabama star Gerald Wallace to the Celtics and included a first-round pick that became Crimson Tide standout Collin Sexton in the first round of the 2018 draft. In 138 NBA regular-season games, White averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists.

2009: DeMarre Carroll (John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham), No. 27 by the Memphis Grizzlies

“The Junkyard Dog” played for eight teams in his 11 NBA seasons. Carroll, who entered the NBA from Missouri, reached his career highs in the 2017-2018 season when he averaged 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 73 games for the Brooklyn Nets. In 578 NBA regular-season games, Carroll averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He also averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 64 playoff games.

2009: Toney Douglas (Auburn), No. 29 by the Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers drafted Douglas from Florida State, but he averaged 16.9 points per game for Auburn as a freshman in the 2004-05 season before leaving the Tigers for the Seminoles. Los Angeles sent him to the New York Knicks on draft night, the first of four times that Douglas was traded during his eight NBA seasons. The 6-foot-2 guard reached his career highs during the 2010-11 season when he averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 81 games with the Knicks. In 394 NBA regular-season games, Douglas averaged 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

2010: DeMarcus Cousins (LeFlore High School in Mobile), No. 5 by the Sacramento Kings

Cousins had been selected for the NBA All-Star Game four seasons in a row before tearing an Achilles tendon on Jan. 26, 2018. The 6-foot-10 center then suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Aug. 19, 2019. But Cousins persevered to play again after missing the entire 2019-20 season. In the 2016-17 season, Cousins reached his career-high average of 27.0 points per game. The next season, he had his best rebounding average at 12.9 and assists average at 5.4. In 654 NBA regular-season games, Cousins averaged 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks. Cousins won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

2010: Eric Bledsoe (Parker High School in Birmingham), No. 18 by the Oklahoma City Thunder

Like DeMarcus Cousins, the 6-foot-1 guard went from an Alabama high school to Kentucky, played the 2009-10 season for the Wildcats and entered the NBA as a first-round choice in 2010. Bledsoe had three of his first six seasons end prematurely because of knee injuries. Bledsoe played for four teams in 12 NBA seasons, including two go-arounds with the Los Angeles Clippers, who originally obtained him in a trade on the night he was drafted. Bledsoe made the NBA’s All-Defensive team for the 2018-19 campaign while with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 756 NBA regular-season games, Bledsoe averaged 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

2018: Collin Sexton (Alabama), No. 8 by the Cleveland Cavaliers

The 6-1 guard became the first first-round pick for the Crimson Tide since 2001 when he turned pro after averaging 19.2 points per game in his only season at Alabama. Sexton became the third rookie in NBA history to average scoring at least 16 points per game while shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line, joining Larry Bird and Stephen Curry. In Sexton’s second NBA season, his scoring average rose to 20.8 points per game, and in his third, it went up to 24.3. But his fourth season lasted only 11 games because of a meniscus tear. Traded to the Utah Jazz, Sexton played in only 48 games in the 2022-23 season before returning to full strength in 2023-24. In 344 NBA regular-season games, Sexton has averaged 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

2019: Chuma Okeke (Auburn), No. 16 by the Orlando Magic

The Magic drafted Okeke even though he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Sweet 16 game in the NCAA tourney. The injury caused Okeke to miss the entire 2019-20 season, and he’s played in more than 47 games in a season only once in the four years since. In 189 NBA regular-season games, Okeke has averaged 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

2020: Isaac Okoro (Auburn), No. 5 by the Cleveland Cavaliers

A defensive stopper, Okoro led the Cavaliers with 2,173 minutes, and his average of 32.4 minutes of court time per game led all first-year players during the 2020-21 season as he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie second team. The 6-foot-5 forward has improved his 3-point shooting in each of his seasons while maintaining his defensive reputation as the Cavs grew into a playoff team the past two years. In 279 NBA regular-season games, Okoro has averaged 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

2020: Kira Lewis Jr. (Hazel Green High School, Alabama), No. 13 by the New Orleans Pelicans

The 6-foot-1 guard closed his rookie campaign by playing in the Pelicans’ final 21 games after getting on the court for 33 of New Orleans’ first 51 games in the 2020-21 season. But Lewis lost that momentum in his second campaign, which ended after 24 games because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In the past two seasons, Lewis played in 43 games, including appearing in 15 for the Pelicans, one for the Toronto Raptors and 12 for the Utah Jazz in 2023-24. In 131 NBA regular-season games, Lewis has averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

2021: Davion Mitchell (Auburn), No. 9 by the Sacramento Kings

The Kings drafted Mitchell from Baylor, where he played two seasons after spending his freshman campaign at Auburn. Mitchell came on as the season progressed and made 11 of his 19 starts to close the campaign. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.3 assists in those 11 games. But while remaining a regular contributor for Sacramento, he has started only 13 games in the past two seasons. In 227 regular-season games, the 6-foot-2 guard has averaged 7.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

2021: Josh Primo (Alabama), No. 12 by the San Antonio Spurs

After playing 50 games for San Antonio as a 19-year-old rookie, when he averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists, the 6-foot-6 guard has played in only six NBA games since. Shortly after the 2022-23 season opened, Primo and the Spurs faced civil lawsuits and a criminal investigation that alleged the player had exposed himself to a team employee. The lawsuits were resolved and the criminal investigation never resulted in charges, but Primo was cut by San Antonio and got a four-game suspension from the NBA last season, which was two more games than he played for the Los Angeles Clippers. In 56 NBA games, Primo has averaged 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

2022: Jabari Smith Jr. (Auburn), No. 3 by the Houston Rockets

No player has been drafted from Auburn quicker than Smith, who followed Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren in the 2022 draft. Chosen after he averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game during his only season at Auburn, Smith made the All-Rookie second team for the 2022-23 season and has started all his NBA appearances. In 155 NBA games, Smith has averaged 13.3 rebounds, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

2022: Walker Kessler (Auburn), No. 22 by the Memphis Grizzlies

Traded twice before playing an NBA game, Kessler made the All-Rookie team and finished third in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2022-23 season. In his two seasons with the Utah Jazz, Kessler has emerged as one of the league’s top shot-blockers. In 138 NBA games, the 7-foot center has averaged 8.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

2023: Brandon Miller (Alabama), No. 2 by the Charlotte Hornets

After he averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during his only season at Alabama, the 6-foot-9 forward followed Victor Wembanyama into the NBA at the top of the 2023 draft. Miller averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 74 games as a rookie. His 184 3-point baskets rank as the fourth-most for a first-year player in NBA history. Miller made the All-Rookie team and finished third in the voting for the Rookie of the Year Award.

2023: Noah Clowney (Alabama), No. 21 by the Brooklyn Nets

Drafted after he averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in his only season at Alabama, the 6-10 frontcourter played in 34 games for the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League and 23 games for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA in his first pro season. Clowney averaged 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds for Brooklyn. Clowney made his first NBA starts in the final four games of his rookie season and averaged 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks in those appearances.

2023: Kobe Brown (Lee High School in Huntsville), No. 30 by the Los Angeles Clippers

Brown played in 22 games for the Ontario Clippers in the NBA G League and 47 games (including three in the playoffs) for the Los Angeles Clippers during his first pro season. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 2.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in regular-season play for Los Angeles as a rookie.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.