Calipari reveals which Kentucky studs are going to NBA Draft
Kentucky huddles during its season-ending loss to Wisconsin in the Final Four, the final Wildcats appearance for many of the team's future NBAers. Photo: Getty Images
Just days after Kentucky's dreams of immortality were dashed, the exodus is already in motion.
Kentucky coach John Calipari met individually with each of his players the morning after the team's season ended in stunning fashion with a Final Four loss against Wisconsin, and said he thinks at least five Wildcats - and as many as seven - will leave for the NBA.
Junior Willie-Cauley Stein, sophomores Aaron and Andrew Harrison and freshmen Trey Lyles and Karl Anthony-Towns are "likely" gone, according to a report in the Louisville Courier-Journal. Sophomore Dakari Johnson and freshman Devin Booker are considered maybes by Calipari.
"There's not going to be any brainwashing, forcing, pushing either in or out. I want each kid to make a decision for themselves," Calipari said. "I did tell a couple of the kids that it's a man's league; it's not a child's league. If you're not ready for a man's league, you need to come back."
The expected departures of Towns, Cauley-Stein and Lyles and Towns are far from surprising. Towns is in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick, Cauley-Stein is projected in the top 10 and Lyles a likely lottery pick.
However, the Harrison twins are not expected to be first-round picks, and Aaron Harrison doesn't crack the top 60 in some projections. Calipari, unsurprisingly, disagrees with that consensus.
"I believe they will be [first-round picks] when you get the workouts and the interviews and you see their size and their athleticism and all that - when you meet them and say, 'Those are two of the greatest kids; where did all this other stuff come from? Where's this narrative? It's not true,'" Calipari said. "And then I think what'll happen is they'll both be in the first round. But even if they're not, it'll be shortly thereafter. There's so many variables, but I would be surprised if both of them weren't first-round picks."
While Calipari said Booker and Johnson are in flux, Yahoo! Sports reported them as goners. Booker is projected as a top-20 pick, Johnson a mid-second-rounder. Those non-lottery projections could steer them back to Lexington for another year.
In addition, point guard Tyler Ulis and forwards Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress are all expected back. Poythress' 2014-15 season was truncated due to an ACL tear. Calipari minced no words in telling Ulis he would be the leader of next year's team - which will incorporate another boffo recruiting class (ranked No. 2 in the nation by Rivals) highlighted by center Skal Labissiere and point guard Isaiah Briscoe.
"[I texted Tyler to say], 'I'm going to build a team. Get your guys and let's do this again. Let's re-run this,'" Calipari told the Courier-Journal.
Just days after Kentucky's dreams of immortality were dashed, the exodus is already in motion.
Kentucky coach John Calipari met individually with each of his players the morning after the team's season ended in stunning fashion with a Final Four loss against Wisconsin, and said he thinks at least five Wildcats - and as many as seven - will leave for the NBA.
Junior Willie-Cauley Stein, sophomores Aaron and Andrew Harrison and freshmen Trey Lyles and Karl Anthony-Towns are "likely" gone, according to a report in the Louisville Courier-Journal. Sophomore Dakari Johnson and freshman Devin Booker are considered maybes by Calipari.
"There's not going to be any brainwashing, forcing, pushing either in or out. I want each kid to make a decision for themselves," Calipari said. "I did tell a couple of the kids that it's a man's league; it's not a child's league. If you're not ready for a man's league, you need to come back."
The expected departures of Towns, Cauley-Stein and Lyles and Towns are far from surprising. Towns is in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick, Cauley-Stein is projected in the top 10 and Lyles a likely lottery pick.
However, the Harrison twins are not expected to be first-round picks, and Aaron Harrison doesn't crack the top 60 in some projections. Calipari, unsurprisingly, disagrees with that consensus.
"I believe they will be [first-round picks] when you get the workouts and the interviews and you see their size and their athleticism and all that - when you meet them and say, 'Those are two of the greatest kids; where did all this other stuff come from? Where's this narrative? It's not true,'" Calipari said. "And then I think what'll happen is they'll both be in the first round. But even if they're not, it'll be shortly thereafter. There's so many variables, but I would be surprised if both of them weren't first-round picks."
While Calipari said Booker and Johnson are in flux, Yahoo! Sports reported them as goners. Booker is projected as a top-20 pick, Johnson a mid-second-rounder. Those non-lottery projections could steer them back to Lexington for another year.
In addition, point guard Tyler Ulis and forwards Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress are all expected back. Poythress' 2014-15 season was truncated due to an ACL tear. Calipari minced no words in telling Ulis he would be the leader of next year's team - which will incorporate another boffo recruiting class (ranked No. 2 in the nation by Rivals) highlighted by center Skal Labissiere and point guard Isaiah Briscoe.
"[I texted Tyler to say], 'I'm going to build a team. Get your guys and let's do this again. Let's re-run this,'" Calipari told the Courier-Journal.
