LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- I'm not certain what is the most A) hyperbolic; B) provocative; C) silly or D) ridiculous thing Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari has said about the NBA Draft.
But I have narrowed it to two contenders.
Statement A was delivered in 2010 after four UK players were taken in the first 18 picks, led by John Wall at No. 1 and DeMarcus Cousins at 5.
"I'd like to say it is the biggest day in the history of the UK program," Calipari said, much to the joy of former UK star Dan Issel and others.
Statement B was the one Cal uttered in 2015, before six Wildcats were called, including four in the first 13 picks.
"Last year, we started the season with a goal," Calipari said. "You may think it was to win a national title or win all the games, (but) it was to get eight players drafted."
Cast your vote now for Statement A or B.
Do not expect a Statement C this week with the 2023 NBA Draft booked for 8 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. With an eight-year gap since the Wildcats' last Final Four appearance and Kentucky finishing short of the Sweet Sixteen the last three seasons, now is not the time to suggest NBA Draft success > than NCAA Tournament success to Kentucky fans.
Thursday will not be one of those vintage UK draft nights. Cason Wallace, the Wildcats' freshman point guard, is the only UK player projected to be selected in the first round — and he is a borderline lottery pick (top 14 selections).
Three other draft-eligible former UK players may or may not be selected, but Chris Livingston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin still opted not to return to Lexington for another season.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson has more reason to howl about the work that he did to get two former Hoosiers ready for the next level paychecks.
Point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino arrived in Bloomington last summer ranked the No. 26 prospect in the class of 2023. At least six NBA mock drafts have Hood-Schifino projected to be a lottery selection Thursday. Hood-Schifino has been effusive in his praise in the work that Woodson and the IU coaching staff did to prepare him for his professional journey.
There's more. Two seasons ago, when Woodson took over at IU, the first player he recruited was center Trayce Jackson-Davis.
He convinced him not to begin his pro career or consider the transfer portal. Jackson-Davis stayed. In fact, he stayed two more seasons, playing an old-fashioned four-year college career, departing with a string of IU basketball personal records.
Woodson also upgraded Jackson-Davis' game to a level most observers did not believe possible — he is a fringe first-round selection Thursday night. Half of the eight NBA mock drafts I studied have Jackson-Davis ranked among the top 30 picks.
You can also file that under player development. Somebody did something right.
As the countdown continues for Thursday evening, here is an overview look at Wallace, Tshiebwe and Livingston as well as the two Indiana prospects. (Toppin is ranked the No. 93 prospect by The Athletic and not listed on any mock drafts.)
Cason Wallace, guard
- Highest Mock Ranking: No. 9, Utah Jazz by Kyle Irving, The Sporting News.
- Lowest Mock Ranking: No. 19, Golden State Warriors, by Bryan Kalbrosky, USA Today.
- Average Mock Ranking: No. 14.
- Overview: Wallace's 6-foot-9-inch wingspan and defensive ability should translate into a substantial NBA career. His ability to create separation and quality shots for himself while finishing at a higher level near the rim will determine if Wallace will become an all-star instead of a starter.
Chris Livingston, forward
- Highest Mock Ranking: No. 43, Portland Trailblazers, by Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer.
- Lowest Mock Ranking: Undrafted.
- Average Mock Ranking: No. 49.
- Overview: Livingston checks the necessary boxes on defense, determination and wingspan (6 feet, 11 inches on his 6-6 frame). But he made only 42.9% of his field-goal attempts while averaging more turnovers than assists in his only season at UK.
Oscar Tshiebwe, forward
- Highest Mock Ranking: No. 54, Sacramento Kings, by Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports.
- Lowest Mock Ranking: Undrafted.
- Average Mock Ranking: No. 60.
- Overview: Tshiebwe needs join a coaching staff in love with his motor and willingness to entrust him with one job — rebounding. His inability to become a consistent threat away from the basket as well as his struggles on defense last season have him absent from several mock drafts.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard
- Highest Mock Ranking: No. 8, Washington Wizards by Gary Parrish, CBS Sports.
- Lowest Mock Ranking: No. 15, Atlanta Hawks, by Kalbrosky of USA Today and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
- Average Mock Ranking: No. 13.
- Overview: Some say Hood-Schifino plays more of a 1980s style game because of his reliance on mid-range jump shots. But he did make a third of his 3-point attempts as well as nearly 78% of his free throws, which shows solid potential as a shooter. The major question scouts have about Hood-Schifino is his lack of elite athleticism.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, forward
- Highest Mock Ranking: No. 29, Indiana Pacers by Irving of The Sporting News and Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press.
- Lowest Mock Ranking: No. 45, Memphis Grizzlies, by Kalbrosky of USA Today.
- Average Mock Ranking: No. 34.
- Overview: With Jackson-Davis, the question has never changed: Can he become a solid, productive NBA player without finding ways to score away from the rim? He did it at Indiana, with excellent footwork, energy and explosive leaping ability. But he measured at 6 feet, 8 1/4 inches (without shoes) at the NBA Combine. There are not many dazzling NBA frontcourt players at that size.
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