Several Hampton Roads athletes hope to hear their names called at the 2022 NBA draft

For the second consecutive year, a Hampton Roads athlete has a chance to hear his name called when the NBA draft takes place Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Last year it was Chesapeake’s Cameron Thomas. The former Oscar Smith High player was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th overall pick. He joined a small group of players from Hampton Roads who were drafted in the first round: Virginia Beach’s J.R. Reid (1989, fifth overall), Chesapeake’s Alonzo Mourning (1992, second overall), Norfolk’s Joe Smith (1995, first overall) and Hampton’s Allen Iverson (1996, first overall).

Duke’s Mark Williams (Norfolk Academy), North Carolina State’s Dereon Seabron (Lake Taylor), Kansas’ David McCormack (Norfolk Academy) and Providence’s Nate Watson (Churchland) hope to join that list.

Williams is expected to go as high as 13th to Charlotte to as low as 18th to Chicago in several mock drafts. Like Thomas, he was invited and accepted to sit in the green room during the selection process. The 7-foot-2 sophomore is likely to be the first non-freshman from Duke to be drafted in the first round since Grayson Allen in 2018.

This past season, he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and ranked fifth in the country in total blocked shots (110).

He now hopes to join his sister, Elizabeth, at the highest professional basketball level. Elizabeth was the fourth overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2015 WNBA draft. She is now in her eighth WNBA season.

Then there’s Seabron.

At 6-foot-6 — with a 6-9 wingspan — he’s a threat to get to the rim with a lethal first step and good ball-handling skills. He causes problems because of his ability to create space with his length and athleticism.

As a Lake Taylor sophomore, he led Lake Taylor to the program’s first state championship-game appearance. But the Titans couldn’t hold a late lead and lost to Monacan 57-53.

As a junior, he averaged 17.2 points and seven rebounds, but the Titans lost to Smithfield on a buzzer-beater from beyond half-court in the region quarterfinals.

He wouldn’t be denied in his senior year as he averaged 22.5 points and 11 rebounds, including 24 points and nine rebounds in the Class 4 state championship game to lead the Titans to the program’s first state title.

He was named the 2018 All-Tidewater Player of the Year and the Class 4 State Player of the Year.

He went to Massanutten Military Academy for a year to try to gain more attention from Power Five conferences. It worked as the four-star recruit had numerous offers before he signed with N.C. State.

He redshirted his first season and averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game the following year.

Last season, he was named the ACC’s Most Improved Player and second-team All-ACC after he averaged 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals.

Now, he hopes to hear his named called Thursday. He’s been dreaming about this experience since he was 7.

“I’m very excited about the draft,” said Seabron, who has met with several teams, including Brooklyn, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Orlando. “It’s been a fun experience going through the whole process, traveling around the country working out for multiple teams, meeting the staff members and seeing all the facilities.”

Many of the mock drafts have him slotted to go in the second round, between the 49th and 54th pick.

Seabron, 22, just wants to hear his name called.

“It would mean the world to me to hear my name called on Thursday night,” he said. “It might be the best day of my life just because this is something I always dreamed of since I was a little kid and everything I ever worked for.

“It would just be a good feeling knowing I have the chance to change me and my family’s life by doing something I love to do. It also would show all the youth in my city that it is possible as long as you put in the work and trust in God, everything else will work out.”

Lake Taylor coach Derek “Yogi” Edwards said Thursday is going to be special for everyone involved with the Titans’ program.

“As coaches, we live through our players as they experience success and failures,” said Edwards, who was an assistant coach when Seabron played for Lake Taylor. “This would be the first boys basketball player in the history of Lake Taylor High to reach that level. Hopefully it won’t be the last.”

Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com. Follow @LHRubama on Twitter.