Kentucky's NBA Draft Feat is Nice, but Not Monumental
by Year2 on Jun 25, 2010 2:32 PM EDT
in SEC Basketball
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PrintKentucky set a record by having five players taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. It's a nice selling point for the Kentucky program, but what does it mean?
First of all, if it wasn't for the NBA's inane age limit, the old record would still be safe. If high school players were still allowed to go straight to the pros, at the very least John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins would have been in last year's draft. I don't know if that qualifies for an asterisk or anything, but it certainly is worth noting. Plus if this wasn't the weakest draft in recent memory, there's no way Daniel Orton gets picked in the first round.
But beyond that, Kentucky setting the record only affirms two things. First, Kentucky's brand is powerful enough that it can attract great players to campus. Second, few coaches are as committed to pursuing or as good at landing obvious one-and-done guys as John Calipari is. I don't think fans anywhere needed last night to tell them those two things. We're far past the point of romanticizing college basketball anymore, but as long as the age limit exists and Calipari is in Lexington, last night's record is little more than a reminder that UK hoops is now in large part a revolving farm team for the NBA.
Sure I'm biased, but I think Florida's record of three top ten draft picks in 2007 is much more an impressive feat. It's not all about having that many guys in the top ten, but also about where they came from. Only Al Horford looked like a potential future lottery pick in their freshman season. UF's coaches in jest called Corey Brewer a "giraffe on roller skates" for his out of control play, and Joakim Noah barely ever saw the floor.
They worked hard to refine their games, and, in large part thanks to now-Alabama head coach Anthony Grant, all three were being talked about as lottery picks by the end of their sophomore seasons. Another year in college then solidified them as top ten selections.
Ultimately it doesn't matter too much, but give me the '04s over Kentucky's five any day. They even won a couple of NCAA championships to boot.
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Cheers!
I can’t imagine why anyone would view UK’s “acheivement” as an accomplishment, considering the fact that a theoretical woman who got pregnant when Wall and Cousins first set foot in Kentucky wouldn’t have carried her theoretical baby to full term yet…
MileHighReport.com member since 02/06/07, promoted to "Position Coach" (i.e. new staff writer) on 02/16/10!
it just means calipari has to recruit harder this year.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Fedor: He once had an awkward moment in the cage, just to see what it feels like. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. He would show his feminine side if he had one. He is a lover, not a fighter, but don't get any ideas. He is the most important man in the world. Stay thirsty my comrades b/c i will never fight in the UFC. Sorry Fedor but in America Budweiser is the King of beers and Lesnar is a clydesdale while Fedor is just a mule. Beating Werdum proves nothing. Beat Lesnar, Carwin. JDS, Velasquez or Overeem and i'll be impressed. Just one of them. College Football is still the best sport out there.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 26, 2010 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions
It also means...
Kentucky is going to have to be really careful with their APR or they will start losing scholarships.
Orton was the only one who hurt UK's APR
As loong as a player is on track to graduate (no matter how long they stay), they are ok. Orton was the only one not to finish the spring semester, so that will hurt. As long as the Freshmen next year do fine, we’ll be fine.
And while the draft was not anywhere as big of a deal that Cal made it out to be, it was still a big deal. The top recuits care about going to the NBA (I know, shocking), and they can see that if Cal can get 5 from the same year (and a bench player like Orton) drafted in the first round, that is where they are going to want to go.
As for the whole one and done thing, Wall was the only sure fire one and done coming into the year, with Cousins being highly likely but not 100%. No one thought Bledsoe and Orton would leave after one year.
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way...
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