John Calipari's Top 10 NBA Prospects at Kentucky
Second-year head coach John Calipari has turned the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program into a national title contender on yearly basis.
Thanks to stellar recruiting, the perennial NBA factory is turning out high-profile draft prospects that are taking the college basketball scene by storm.
There have already been some big names to come through Lexington in the past couple years, and that trend looks to continue with an already outstanding 2011 recruiting class.
That said, here are "Kentucky’s Top NBA Prospects to play under John Calipari in Lexington." On most slides, you can click on the player’s name to take you to a more detailed profile and get a more extensive scouting report on the player.
10. Darius Miller
1 of 10
Darius Miller
The 6’7” junior guard has been largely overshadowed the past couple seasons by the elite talent brought in for the Wildcats.
However, the lanky Miller has been no slouch during his time in Lexington. This season he is averaging nearly 10 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal and is shooting 53.6 percent from three-point range.
He’s not an outstanding NBA prospect, but he has the talent, size and games to eventually play his way into the league as a late second-round pick or undrafted free agent.
9. Doron Lamb
2 of 10
A pure scorer that can put up points in a number of ways, but none better than from the perimeter, Lamb is off to a solid start this season, averaging 12 points and shooting 48.3 percent from three.
A couple more years under Calipari would do his game wonders before entering the draft, but at 6’4” he figures to be a second-rounder whenever he enters. However, if he can add strength and show he can create for others, Lamb could see his stock improve.
8. Daniel Orton
3 of 10
Daniel Orton
The 29th overall draft pick of the Orlando Magic, Orton was selected in last year's draft despite only averaging a little over three points, three rebounds and a block in 13 minutes.
Purely a potential pick by the Magic for his size and length at 6’10”, Orton has recently been sent to play for the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the D-League.
Orton probably left the Kentucky basketball program prematurely but is still very young and has time to progressively develop into a solid post player.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
7. Patrick Patterson
4 of 10
One of Billy Gillispie’s original recruits to Kentucky, Patterson was a stud in Lexington before Calipari’s arrival. The 14th overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 2010, Patterson has been delegated to play for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League.
Make no mistake though—Patterson knows how to play in the paint with some nice post moves and a soft shooting touch. He has greatly improved his perimeter game by incorporating the three-ball into his repertoire.
6. Eric Bledsoe
5 of 10
Predominantly an off guard for the Wildcats last year, Bledsoe has stepped in for the LA Clippers this season at the point and showed a lot of promise.
Eric is averaging 8.6 points, five assists and a steal while splitting time at the point with Baron Davis. The 18th pick in last year's draft figures to be the point guard of the future with his quickness and playmaking for teammates.
Turnovers have been an issue for him (averaging three per game), but taking over for Davis and playing for the Clippers, it's nothing out of the ordinary for the LA squad.
5. Brandon Knight
6 of 10
A "shoot first"-type scoring guard who happens to be playing point for the Wildcats, Knight is built with a nice frame and is an outstanding shooter.
He has a reputation for being a selfish player at this point throughout his career, but he has the tools to be an NBA floor general. One of the nation's top recruits from last year is honing his skills for 17.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds this season.
Knight’s biggest issues are becoming a reliable distributor and cutting down on his 4.4 turnovers per game average.
4. Enes Kanter
7 of 10
Technically, the skilled 6’11” big man has yet to take the court for Calipari, as he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for improper benefits during his time in the Turkish Professional League.
However, if he were eligible to play against UConn and UNC earlier this season, the Wildcats would be undefeated. Kanter is as complete an amateur big man as I’ve seen in person.
His 34 points and 13 rebounds in last year's Nike Hoop Summit, against the likes of Jared Sullinger and the other US Prep All-Stars, says volumes about his game.
Enes Kanter is the complete package and should be a top five pick in 2011 because of his impressive size and skill set, regardless of if he plays at UK.
3. Terrence Jones
8 of 10
Jones has an impressive combination of size, length, athleticism and strength at the forward position. His recent play has NBA scouts raving, averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, two assists and 1.4 steals and hitting 37.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
TJ is one of the hottest players in the nation right now and is making plays off the dribble, setting up teammates, developing his post game and battling for boards.
I’ve seen Terrence Jones play throughout his high school career in Portland, and he has done nothing but get better at an exponential rate—something that should continue into the NBA.
2. DeMarcus Cousins
9 of 10
The fifth pick of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, he might also be the biggest steal from draft day. Playing only 24 minutes on average for the Kings, Cousins is still managing to put up 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
At 6’11”, 270 lbs. and only 20 years of age, DeMarcus can anchor the paint for an NBA franchise for over a decade.
Playing with a ball-dominant Tyreke Evans and strong-rebounding Samuel Dalembert has hindered his production initially, but Cousins will improve as he continues to learn in the league.
1. John Wall
10 of 10
The No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft is already becoming one of the most entertaining and scintillating players in the NBA. Wall’s on-court wizardry of 17.4 points, 9.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game is enough to make you wish there were highlights in the box score.
John Wall is a special player who could be the fastest player on the court from end to end with a basketball in his hands. He is quickly becoming a household name and will emerge as one of the top players in the league in true superstar fashion.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
