The 2018 NBA Draft is eight days away, and Alabama point guard Collin Sexton remains a projected lottery pick in nearly every mock draft. His head coach Avery Johnson believes the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year will experience a smooth transition to the league.

“I think his speed, his high basketball IQ,” Johnson said Wednesday in an interview with WJOX FM’s 3 Man Front. “He’s a very explosive offensive player, and because of the space that he’s going to have on the court in the NBA because of the guys that he’s going to be playing with, it’s going to be lights out.

“I mean the kid is a high-level player. He plays both ends of the floor. He’s not a one-way player, he’s a two-way player. And because he’s got to guard some of the best point guards in the world he’s going to be very competitive. He’s got a lot of confidence, mental and physical toughness. So, I think a lot of attributes about his game translate to the NBA game.”

Over the weekend, Sexton worked out for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, according to multiple reports. And in ESPN’s latest mock draft, the former 5-star recruit landed at No. 9 overall to the Knicks. With projections that high, he is set to be Alabama’s highest draft pick since Antonio McDyess was taken No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1995.

This past season, Sexton set the single-season scoring record for a Crimson Tide freshman, passing James “Hollywood” Robinson’s mark of 554 points set in 1990-91. The Mableton, Ga., native finished second in the SEC in scoring average (19.2 points per game) and topped his team in assists per game (3.6) during UA’s first NCAA Tournament run since 2011-12.

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The 2018 NBA Draft will take place Thursday, June 21, in Brooklyn. Coverage of the event will begin at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Johnson, who will be there in person to see the first player drafted in his three-year tenure in Tuscaloosa, is thankful for what one year of Sexton did to the Tide’s men’s basketball program and equally eager to see where he will play next season.

“Because of his charisma he brought a lot of attention to our program nationally, and we had a lot of big wins against a lot of top-25 teams,” Johnson said. “… He meant so much to our program to this year, and moving forward, we wish him continued success.

“I’ll be in attendance at the draft, and whichever team decides to draft him, they’re going to get a very, very good young player that has a high ceiling.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).