Entries from March 2010 ↓

Kentucky reserve big man Daniel Orton will enter the NBA Draft, his father Larry said on Wednesday. His son will not hire an agent so he can retain the option of returning to UK next season, the elder Orton said.
If Orton enters the draft, he would join the expected group of players leaving UK. Others expected to enter include fellow freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, plus junior forward Patrick Patterson.
When UK played in the NCAA Tournament East Region at Syracuse, N.Y., freshman guard Eric Bledsoe also expressed an interest in entering the draft.
According to NCAA rules, underclassmen have until May 8 to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain their college eligibility.
After the comments by Larry Orton became public knowledge, UKMediaNews sent a text message quoting Daniel Orton as saying a final decision about entering the draft had not been made.
““I have not declared for the NBA draft,” Daniel Orton was quoted as saying. “I’m currently weighing my options and will make a decision prior to the deadline.”
The possibility of returning to Kentucky to be the main man around the basket would not be a prime factor in his son’s thinking, Larry Orton said.
“I don’t see that as a big deal,” the elder Orton said.
Before UK played against Cornell in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Daniel Orton spoke candidly about his interest in entering this year’s NBA Draft.
“You know, if I’m a lottery pick, it’s something I have to think about,” he said. “That’s for sure.”
A recent mock draft by the Los Angeles Times projected five UK players among the top 13 picks. The Times had John Wall being the first player taken, then DeMarcus Cousins at No. 8, Patrick Patterson at No. 10, Orton at No. 12 and Eric Bledsoe at No. 13.
Orton made it sound that if he believes he’ll be taken with one of the first 13 picks, the so-called lottery section of the first round, the financial implications would be impossible to ignore.
“More than anything, it’s money,” he said. “In this world, there’s only one color that matters, and that’s green.
“If that’s an option, then that’s real important. I’ve got to (explore) that option.”
When asked if being projected as a lottery pick would make the critical difference in his decision to stay in college or turn pro, Orton said, “Probably so. More than anything, I know I can stay another year and move up the draft board.”
Because he plays behind Cousins and Patterson, Orton did not play a lot. He did not play even 20 minutes in a game since Kentucky faced Cleveland State in Cancun. He did not score more than eight points in the last 24 games. In that span, he grabbed more than five rebounds in a game once (nine at Florida).
Orton suggested Kentucky’s success this season elevated his draft profile.
“The position the team is in,” Orton said. “. . . I do believe I’ve started playing real well. But more so than anything, the position the team is in.”

The United States Basketball Writers Association named Victoria Dunlap of Kentucky to its women’s All-America team.

John Wall and Eric Bledsoe broke a mold last year when the two highly-regarded point guards both signed with Kentucky. Because high-profile prospects usually want immediate playing time, they go to different schools.

Josh Selby, one of the top point guard prospects this year, said Tuesday he’s open to the idea of playing at the same school as Brandon Knight. Both are being courted by Kentucky, which could lose Wall and Bledsoe to this year’s NBA Draft.

When asked about recruiting talk that he’s waiting for Knight to sign so he can go to another school, Selby said, “That’s not true at all. (Knight’s choice) is not going to stop me. If we go to the same school, we’ll just have to fight for playing time.”

Selby said he watched how Wall and Bledsoe prospered for Kentucky this season.

“They sacrificed for the strength of the team and both got national recognition,” Selby said. “I was very impressed.”

Selby, a 6-2 point guard from Baltimore, Md., said Wall and Bledsoe both wanted the ball “24/7,” but co-existed at Kentucky.

Selby acknowledged that he’d want the ball 24/7, too. But that desire was not his top priority.

“I just want to win,” he said. “When you win, everybody gets recognized.”

Selby also noted Marvin Williams at North Carolina as an example of a highly-regarded player who played a complementary role for one season in college and then went to the NBA.

Selby, who will play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday, originally committed to Tennessee. He denied published reports that he changed his mind after speaking to William Wesley, a recruiting confidant of Kentucky Coach John Calipari.

Selby is now considering Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona and Connecticut. He said he planned to announce his choice at the Jordan Classic All-Star Game on April 17.

Brandon Knight, who Rivals.com considers the nation’s No. 1 high school prospect, plans to make his college choice in April.

He’s considering Kentucky, Florida, Connecticut, Kansas and Syracuse.

“No more visits,” he said on Tuesday from Columbus, Ohio, where he will play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday.

A decision will come after talking to his parents, he said.

Knight confirmed earlier reports that his parents like Kentucky.

“Yeah, they liked Lexington and the area,” he said before adding, “They also like a lot of other schools. Kansas. Florida. If they didn’t like them, they wouldn’t be on the list.”

With John Wall expected to join Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans as one-and-done players that played for John Calipari, Knight said that track record was on his mind. “A little bit,” he said.

Speaking on his weekly radio call-in show Monday, Kentucky Coach John Calipari said he would seek to add a minimum of five and as many as six freshmen this recruiting year.

UK already has two incoming freshmen in the fold: wing Stacey Poole, Jr., and big man Enes Kanter, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound native of Turkey.

Calipari noted the need for more talent when asked by host Tom Leach how many players Kentucky might lose to this year’s NBA Draft.

Calipari strongly suggested that junior forward Patrick Patterson played his last game for Kentucky against West Virginia in the East Region final Saturday.

“Patrick has done everything he needs to do,” the UK coach said of Patterson’s readiness to enter the NBA Draft. “The others should take a look.”

The others include freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, both of whom were named to The Associated Press first-team All-America team on Monday. Both are projected to be among the first picks taken in this year’s NBA Draft and are widely expected to leave Kentucky.

Freshmen Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe expressed during the East Region tournament that they would be interested in entering the draft. In a recent mock draft composed by The Los Angeles Times, each was projected as a lottery pick.

In looking for recruits, Calipari said he wanted players who would not be afraid of the promise of high-quality competition and expectations at Kentucky. “It’s on here,” he said.

Nor did UK want a player who wanted to be a basketball diva. “If you want to be the guy, don’t come here,” Calipari said.

Kentucky Coach John Calipari is scheduled to participate with Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey in a charity cook-off next weekend in Indianapolis.

With the help of celebrity chef Tim Love, Calipari and Brey will each have 45 minutes to prepare pork medallions.

LG Electronics, an official Corporate Sponsor of the NCAA, is the host of the cooking competition. The company will make a $5,000 donation in the winning coach’s name to Coaches vs. Cancer charity.

During a Final Four teleconference on Monday, Butler Coach Brad Stevens was asked about recruiting Lexington native Shelvin Mack.

“Shelvin, I got to see some of that in the summer and really watched him throughout the fall and into the early part of his senior season,” the Butler coach said. “I just loved the way that he played. I felt like he could not only put the ball on the floor, but shoot the ball as you’ve seen.Always makes good decisions.”

Stevens said he also got good character recommendations on Mack and other prospects now playing for Butler.

“If you talk to . . . the people around the school, everyone loved them, every single person that came across those guys loved them as a person first and foremost,” he said. “That means a lot.”

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins became the first Kentucky teammates to make The Associated Press first All-America team since Ralph Beard and Alex Groza in 1949.

The wire service announced its All-America team Monday at noon.

Other members of the first team were Scottie Reynolds of Villanova, Wes Johnson of Syracuse and Evan Turner of Ohio State. The AP named Turner the Player of the Year.

Kentucky had not had a first-team AP All-America selection since Ron Mercer in 1997. Wall and Cousins became the 15th and 16th UK players to make first team since The AP  began naming All-America teams in the 1940s.

Wall was a contender to be The AP’s Player of the Year. But the balloting by members of the media who vote on the weekly top 25 poll tabbed Ohio State’s Evan Turner as the Player of the Year.

Past UK first-team All-America selections are Mercer (1997), Jamal Mashburn (1993), Kenny Walker (1986), Kyle Macy (1980), Dan Issel (1970), Louie Dampier (1966), Cotton Nash (1964), Johnny Cox (1959), Cliff Hagan (1954 and 1952), Bill Spivey (1951), Beard (1949 and 1948) and Groza (1949).

Wall and Cousins became the first teammates to make The AP first team since J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams of Duke in 2006.

For the third straight season, two freshmen made The AP first-team. In 2007, Kevin Durant of Texas and Greg Oden of Ohio State made the first team. In 2006, Michael Beasley of Kansas State and Kevin Love of UCLA made it.

Wall and Cousins also became the seventh and eighth freshmen on The AP first team.  Other first-team freshmen were Wayman Tisdale of Oklahoma (1983) and Chris Jackson of LSU (1989).

Of UK Coach John Calipari’s star freshmen point guards, Wall is the first to be named to The AP first team. Derrick Rose was voted to the third team in 2008 and Tyreke Evans made Honorable Mention in 2009.

Wall set a UK record for assists with 241 this season. His average of 6.5 assists ranked third nationally. He also averaged 16.6 points and led the team with 66 steals.

Cousins barely missed averaging a double-double on the season. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. He recorded 20 double-doubles in 38 games. Only five players in Division One had more double-doubles.

The NCAA is accepting requests for tickets to the 2011 Final Four, which will be played in Houston.

Here are some particulars:

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As the NCAA news release noted, only one properly submitted application per individual/household will be accepted for inclusion in the NCAA’s ticket selection process.

With Kentucky in the East Region finals, the questions about John Wall possibly entering this year’s NBA Draft from national reporters.

“I’m enjoying my college experience,” Wall said. “I don’t want to think about anything else.”

When asked if he was having fun playing college basketball, Wall said, “Yeah, it’s fun. I think about it a lot. College is a great experience with the teammates I have, and how much support the fans give us means a lot.”

Wall did not identify any material thing he’d like to buy with his first NBA contract.

“All I need is my mom and my family,” he said.

Not a car? Not a boat?

“Nah,” Wall said.

Wall said he promised his late father than he would get a college degree. He did not commit to staying at UK beyond this season, but he noted the importance of attaining a degree.

Even without the NBA rule requiring a one-year wait before entering the league, Wall said he would recommend that most other high school stars attend college rather than go immediately to the pros.

“They should make every high school player go to college,” he said while allowing for exceptions like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. “Other guys need the experience. I’m glad I made the decision.”