Kentucky’s Starting Five To Enter NBA Draft
The Kentucky Wildcats will be starting fresh in 2012. The NCAA Champs’ entire starting lineup will be entering the NBA draft this year. Kentucky has acquired highschool phenom Nerlens Noel, but a repeat title could be difficult without Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb.
Coach John Calipari said:
“This is a players’ first program. I said it three years ago. During the season, it’s about our team. You saw it in this year’s team, they were about each other. When the season is over, it’s about moments like this.”
“It’s been a great opportunity playing here. I’ll miss this team, the way we played together. We all love each other. I’m just going to miss this place. We won an NCAA championship here and did a lot. We all did a lot for this school, and I’m going to miss it.”
All five players are considered to be top picks in the draft this year, while Anthony Davis will most likely go number one. According to Yahoo’s Jeff Eisenberg, Kidd-Gilchrist and Jones should get picked up before the end of the lottery and Teague will go at the end of the first round. Lamb and Miller are expected to guy during the start of the second round and will make good role players in the NBA.
Kentucky’s starting five from the 2011 season consisted of three freshman and two sophomores.
Do you think Kentucky will be able to win the NCAA championship with all new faces in its starting five?
