Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats and the NBA Draft

With seven national championships under their belt, the University of Kentucky is home to one of the most storied programs in Division I college basketball.

Over the past few seasons, while under the helm of recruiting guru John Calipari, they have been a serious threat to claim their eighth each year. Despite a series of early departures by one and done freshmen for the bright lights and bursting bank accounts of the NBA they are perennially considered contenders.

In 2010, the Wildcats saw five players go in the first round including the year’s No. 1 overall pick, John Wall. One year later, another freshman Wildcat guard, Brandon Knight, also went fairly high (eighth overall). All told, nine Wildcats have been drafted over the course of the past two years.

Yet in spite of his uncanny ability to assemble talent, Calipari has yet to claim his first national championship and has been oft-criticized for both his recruiting tactics and overall roster construction strategy.

Now, 2012 could finally be the year to silence his critics. With a projected starting five that could not only all be first round picks in next year’s draft, but potentially all go in the top 20, Calipari may have his most talented team to date. This time, it appears to be constructed for the long haul too, with characteristics of defense and leadership oozing from the seams.

The following examines the five aforementioned Wildcats and should help shed some light on to what promises to be a very competitive, and possibly celebratory, season for the Big Blue Nation.

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Anthony Davis: 6’10”, 200 lbs, PF/C, Freshman

Davis could very well be the best big man recruit in the country, and is already considered by many as a candidate to go as high as No. 1 overall in next year’s draft.

Offensively, he may be unguardable at the college level. He is too quick for bigger players, is too long to be checked by smaller players, and has the sort of athleticism that will force teams to double team him.

When this happens, Davis is unselfish enough to give the ball up and his talented teammates will most certainly make the opposition pay.

His length and shot blocking ability combine with his athleticism to make him a potential terror on the other end of the floor as well, and with defensive juggernauts like Michael Gilchrist and Terrence Jones joining him in the front court you can expect to see Davis running the floor and finishing off many transition lobs in highlight reel fashion.

Marquis Teague: 6’2”, 175 lbs, PG, Freshman

Coach Calipari is famous for his ability to recruit some of the nation’s top point guard prospects and mold them into elite level NBA floor generals in just one short season.

In the past four years alone, he has produced four Top 10 picks in Tyreke Evans (at Memphis), Derrick Rose (at Memphis), John Wall, and most recently Brandon Knight. Two of these point guards went No. 1 overall with Evans and Rose both claiming Rookie of the Year honors, and Rose currently the reigning league MVP.

Teague belongs in this class, and could very well go in the Top 10 himself in next year’s very deep draft class.

The younger brother of Hawks starting point guard Jeff Teague, Marquis is an elite level athlete who seems to have the ball on a string. He is a true pass first point guard, who has the tools and leaderships abilities necessary to manage such a talented roster, and make sure that the ball gets to where it needs to be on each possession.

You can be sure that he will frequently consider himself the fifth option on the floor, but if he is left open he can fill it up in his own right. Still, with such advanced playmaking instincts teams would be wise to make Teague beat them on his own, because with him running the show, balance will be Kentucky’s greatest strength.

Michael Gilchrist: 6’6″, 210 lbs, SF, Freshman

Gilchrist has the sort of defensive ability to not only defend the other team’s best perimeter player, but to lock him in shackles and send him off the court in tears.

With an astonishing 6’11” wingspan, Calipari will likely be able to utilize him to guard four positions, much like he did with Magic draft pick DeAndre Liggins this past year.

He is fundamentally sound and possesses a tireless work ethic to go with his high motor; a combination that should make him an on the floor leader for the Wildcats from Day 1. His aggressiveness on both ends of the floor is contagious and if his talented teammates join suit then this year’s team could be the hottest ticket in town, especially if the NBA lockout carries on into the college season.

Terrence Jones: 6’8″, 244 lbs, SF/PF, Sophomore

Jones could have been a Top 10 pick in this past year’s draft, and he has the sort of all-around ability to crack the lottery with his freshmen teammates in the potentially very deep 2012 draft.

As a former high school point guard, he posses the quick first step and ball handling ability to break down his man from anywhere on the floor.

His defensive length and lateral quicks make him no slouch on the defensive end either, posting averages of 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals to go with his 16 points per game on way to being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, ahead of fellow freshman phenom Brandon Knight last season.

He will be counted on for leadership this year with another freshman packed rotation, and if he delivers then the Big Blue Nation could very well be celebrating their eighth national championship next April.

Doron Lamb: 6’4″, 195 lbs, SG, Sophomore

Lamb is a knock down shooter who will spend much of next season spotting up, wide open beyond the three-point arc. Few teams have ever had the luxury of having their fifth best player be as good as this kid is. That being said, when teams elect to double team any one of Kentucky’s other offensive threats Lamb is likely to end up as the forgotten man on the perimeter, free to set his feet and drain three after three.

He’s much more than just a three-point shooter though. A solid defender and a triple threat offensively, he has the sort of well-rounded game that could force the opposition to stick with single coverage or risk having Lamb expose them from practically anywhere on the floor.

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Come March, much more will be known about this young squad. In the spotlight of what is likely to be a locked out NBA, college basketball’s exposure will be at an absolute zenith, and the brightest lights will be shone on Calipari’s squad. These Wildcats will be clawing tooth and nail for their eighth national championship, before probably all going pro. For the man who structures his program to give himself the most fleeting chances at the ultimate prize, a 2010 national championship would be John Calipari’s first.

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