COLUMBUS, Ga. | It’s all but a foregone conclusion at this point: Auburn basketball will have a player drafted this week for the first time in 18 years.

Jamison Brewer (1999-2001) was the last one when he went 40th overall to the Pacers in the 2001 NBA Draft. He lasted just four years in the league, however. And since Marquis Daniels retired in 2013, the league has been completely Auburn-less.

That’s expected to change Thursday evening.

When Tigers forward Chuma Okeke entered his name in the draft April 20, skepticism was that his ACL injury, suffered during Auburn’s Sweet Sixteen win over North Carolina, would hinder his stock.

That notion never came close to materializing. NBA scouts and executives made it clear to Okeke that the ACL tear was but a small inconvenience. Teams see Okeke as a smart long-term investment.

And they’ve told him that, which became evident when he skipped out on the NBA Combine before interviewing with teams. It’s assumed a few franchises promised him they will use a pick on him if they have the chance Thursday night inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

In 2018-19 the Atlanta product Okeke started 38 games, averaging 12 points, 6.8 boards, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 38.7 from 3-point range. After a true freshman season that saw him evolve into a reliable role player, Okeke quickly cemented himself as Auburn’s most versatile player and best pro prospect last season.

Okeke, who immaculately fits the mold of a modern NBA power forward at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds with range and multipurpose defensive abilities, saw his stock rise further when Auburn entered the postseason. He averaged 15 points and seven boards during Auburn’s NCAA Tournament run before the knee injury.

NBA clubs are considering Okeke a buy-low player due to the setback on what could be a fruitful career in the pros. As a result, Okeke is being slotted in the late first- to early second-round range in most mock drafts.

“Man, how about that? We’re gonna get a guy drafted,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said to reporters before an Auburn AMBUSH tour stop in Columbus. “It’s about time, right? … It’s just wonderful. I’m hoping that Chuma is able to go in the first round. I think there’s a chance.”

It’s considered a longshot, but Okeke may not be the only Tiger taken. Three-year starting point guard Jared Harper opted to forgo his senior year to cash in on the team’s best-ever season, and the move has proven to be a smart one thus far.

Harper and former Auburn shooting guard Bryce Brown both received invites to the NBA G League Combine in Chicago in May, with an opportunity to receive a bid to the regular NBA Combine if they wowed scouts enough.

Harper dominated the camp, at times looking like “the best player on the floor.” He was one of a cluster of prospects to earn an NBA Combine invite.

Since their time in Chicago, Harper and Brown have both worked out with a handful of NBA clubs, ranging from Charlotte to Boston to Milwaukee, among others. Both are heavily projected to go undrafted Thursday night, however Harper’s performances in Chicago are expected make him a popular pick as one of the first undrafted free agents signed.

And it’s feasible that this summer’s group, which will likely consist of three players vying for roster spots, may not be the pinnacle for Pearl at Auburn. After all, while Okeke was a blue-chip prospect out of high school, Harper and Brown didn’t collectively hold many big-name offers.

The DNA of Pearl’s teams is trending toward NBA-caliber talent for the foreseeable future. Next year’s roster is littered with some of the highest-rated prospects Auburn has ever had — Austin Wiley and Isaac Okoro come to mind — and that’s not to mention the handful of one-and-done-level players that could arrive in the 2020 class.

But no matter where Pearl and that presumed talent take the future of Auburn basketball, the epicenter of this era will be traced to this year’s group.

“I’m hoping that Jared and Bryce get drafted,” Pearl said. “If they don’t, I know they’ll both make Summer League teams and they’ll both have an opportunity. It’s certainly a great thing, and they certainly deserve their award — having the opportunity to play professionally at the highest level.”