Will Florida State's recent trend of NBA Draft pick production continue Thursday?

Over the last few years, the Florida State men's basketball program has been well represented in the NBA Draft.

The Seminoles had three players taken in last year's draft, tied with the 1981 draft for the most in program history.

Each of the last two years, FSU has had a player taken fourth overall in the first round, tied for the highest pick in program history.

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Over the last three drafts, FSU has had seven total players picked. That's the most in program history over a three-year span and tied with Duke for the most drafted players among ACC schools.

But after it was a sure thing that at least one former Seminole would hear their name called each of the last few years, that's not exactly the case this year.

Entering Thursday night's draft, which will be broadcast from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on ABC and ESPN at 7:30 p.m., John Butler is the likeliest former Seminole who could extend the streak of consecutive years with an FSU player drafted to four.

Butler, who chose FSU out of Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church Episcopal School, was not seen as a one-and-done prospect when he arrived ahead of the 2021-22 season. He was ranked as the No. 71 overall prospect and No. 12 center in the 2021 class by 247Sports.

But it quickly became clear early in the season that he may not be with the Seminoles for an extended period of time. His mix of 7-foot-1 size, shooting ability and defensive versatility are not often found together and make him a valuable asset.

In his lone season at FSU, he averaged 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds over 19 minutes per game. His 39.3% clip from three-point range was the second-best among regular FSU contributors behind only Harrison Prieto, and he averaged 1.2 blocks per game while also proving capable of defending on the perimeter.

Butler impressed at the NBA Scouting Combine and waited until the final day before the June 1 deadline to decide he was staying in the draft and not returning to FSU.

Had he returned to FSU, Butler may have played his way into first-round or lottery consideration for next year's NBA Draft. As things currently stand, though, it's somewhat up in the air if Butler will hear his name called Thursday or if he'll be one of the highest-priority undrafted free agents.

But deciding not to return for his sophomore season means any team that drafts or signs Butler this year will do so with him as a bit of a project. His skills are refined, but his body needs development. With his 7-foot-1 frame, the 174.4 pounds he weighed at the combine is staggeringly low.

In order to be able to play at the NBA level, he definitely needs to add more weight and strength. His first season as a professional will likely come in the G-League, as whichever team selects him will look to help him continue to grow his skills while adding weight.

That being said, Butler's rare combination of size, speed and shooting ability is quite rare and could make him a valuable asset in the future worth taking a chance on drafting in the second round.

The opinions on where Butler could land are varied. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has Butler at No. 41 on his big board while the Athletic's Sam Vecenie has Butler at No. 65 on his board.

Sports Illustrated has Butler going 41st overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, and USA Today/For the Win has him as a surprise first-round pick going 28th overall to the Golden State Warriors.

However, ESPN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report don't have Butler included in their most recent two-round mock drafts, meaning there's at least some chance he may not be taken Thursday night.

Butler may be the only FSU alumnus with a realistic chance of being taken in this year's draft, but he is one of quite a few former Seminoles who will embark on the start of their professional careers over the next few weeks.

Multi-year starter Malik Osborne has had the chance to work out for a number of NBA teams in the last few weeks and should get an opportunity with a team in this summer's NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Anthony Polite, RayQuan Evans, Wyatt Wilkes and Tanor Ngom are also looking to begin their professional careers. Some of them may receive some NBA interest, but their playing futures likely lie overseas in an international league.

2022 NBA Draft

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

TV: ABC or ESPN

Reach Curt Weiler at cweiler@tallahassee.com or follow him on Twitter @CurtMWeiler.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: John Butler looks to continue FSU's recent run of NBA Draft success