Where will Belmont basketball's Ben Sheppard be selected in the NBA Draft?

Belmont went 47 years between its first and second NBA Draft picks. It won't take nearly that long between its second and third if Ben Sheppard, as some draft experts predict, is selected in the NBA Draft in June.

Joe Gaines was Belmont's first player drafted in 1972 when he went in the sixth round to the Portland Trailblazers. The Bruins didn't have another play taken until 2019 when Dylan Windler went to the Cleveland Cavs in the first round.

If Sheppard goes it will mean Belmont would have two players drafted in five years, which would be a great accomplishment for the mid-major program.

Sheppard, a 6-foot-6 guard from Atlanta, quickly turned heads at the NBA Draft Combine when he led all scorers with 25 points on 8 of 10 shooting in the first game earlier this month.

“I'm just continuing to prove myself,” Sheppard told ESPN after the game. “I think it’ll be cool at the next level to be in there with those guys. It’s just the game that I love and it’s fun and I enjoy it and I hope to do this for a career.”

In that game Sheppard also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The draft is June 22. Bleacher Report's mock draft has Sheppard being selected in the second round with the 39th pick by the Charlotte Hornets while USA Today and ESPN each have him being the 57th pick by the Washington Wizards. Sports Illustrated gave Sheppard a second-round grade.

Yahoo Sports listed Sheppard among "6 standouts who helped their draft stock the most" (at the NBA Combine).

NBA Insider Brett Siegel listed Sheppard as the biggest winner after the second day at the combine and the following day wrote, "One scout I spoke with ... raved about Belmont's Ben Sheppard: 'I've never seen a kid at the combine as happy to compete against the others as Sheppard. He was simply having fun and teams noticed that. They're going to fall in love with him.'"

Other locals to watch in the NBA Draft

Other players with local connections to watch in the NBA Draft include former Cane Ridge star Brandon Miller, who played at Alabama last season.

The 6-9 power forward is predicted to be a top-five pick by most experts.

ESPN has Tennessee's Julian Phillips going 53rd to the Minnesota Timberwolves and USA Today has him going 56th to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 6-7 wing entered the transfer portal earlier this spring. If Phillips decides to remain in college he will have to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft by May 31.

Tennessee 7-1 center Uros Plavsic announced Monday he will forgo his final year of eligibility and stay in the NBA Draft. Vols forward Josiah Jordan-James also declared for the draft and performed well recently at a G League Elite Camp.

Carter Vrabel transferring to Tennessee Tech to play baseball

Carter Vrabel, the son of Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and a former Father Ryan baseball star who spent the last two seasons at Volunteer State Community College, will finish his career at Tennessee Tech.

Vrabel, a pitcher/third baseman, played in all 55 of Vol State's games this season. He batted .298 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs and 39 runs. He also had nine stolen bases. He had an .880 fielding percentage.

He helped the Pioneers post a 32-23 record and advance to the quarterfinals of the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association tournament.

Vrabel (6-foot-3, 215-pounds) played football (quarterback and safety) when he was in high school in Houston before his father got the Titans job. He gave up football after the family moved to Nashville.

Eddie George announces celebrities for golf classic

Tennessee State football coach Eddie George has lined up another all-star group to play in his annual Celebrity Golf Classic July 23-24.

Some of the stars include Bo Jackson, Lawrence Taylor, Jerome Bettis, Marcus, Allen, Brian Dawkins, Jevon Kearse, Joey Porter, Derrick Brooks, Jeff Fisher, Blaine Bishop, Richard Dent, Keith Bulluck, Tyrone Hughes, Clyde Simmons, Kevin Dyson and Derrick Mason. More stars will be announced in the coming days.

Participants will be paired with a star at Old Hickory Country Club. There also will be a reception and silent auction with proceeds going to the Tamara & Eddie George Legacy Fund benefitting TSU Athletics as well as other education and enrichment programs in Nashville.

Register at Eddie George Celebrity Golf Classic.

Flo Rida will headline Music City Grand Prix concert

Rapper Flo Rida will headline the third annual Big Machine Music City Grand Prix IndyCar race in downtown. The race is Aug. 6 and the concert is Aug. 5 on the main stage starting at 6 p.m.

The pre-race praise concert on the morning of Aug. 6 will be hosted by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts and feature Jason Crabb, Consumed By Fire, Cade Thompson and Iveth Luna.

Rock legend Vince Neil of Motley Crue, a Nashville resident, will perform Aug. 4 along with Chris Janson and Gavin DeGraw in a concert that will honor the military and first responders.

Other performers during the three-day event include Megan Moroney, Dillon Carmichael, Frank Ray, Tim Dugger, Mae Estes, Neon Union, Ryan Griffin and Connor McCutheon.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Belmont basketball's Ben Sheppard be selected in the NBA Draft?