National player of the year Anthony Davis — along with teammates Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb — all declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday.
Davis is a virtual lock to go No. 1; Kidd-Gilchrist seems like the obvious second selection; Jones will likely be picked somewhere in the NBA Lottery; and Teague and Lamb are projected as late first-rounders.
Having five players go in the first round would be nothing new for Kentucky. In 2010, John Wall (first), DeMarcus Cousins (fifth), Patrick Patterson (14th), Eric Bledsoe (18th) and Daniel Orton (29th) were all drafted in the first round.
But the 2012 class at Kentucky should use the 2010 group as a cautionary tale of the difficult path that awaits them in professional basketball.
With the pressure of being the top pick, Wall has led the Wizards to a 38-105 record in his first two seasons.
Cousins’ attitude often overshadows his immense talent. In just his second season, a confrontation with Kings coach Paul Westphal led to Cousins demanding a trade. In February, Sacramento fired Westphal.
As for the other three former Wildcats: Patterson is a solid contributor off the bench for the Rockets, Bledsoe has gone in and out of the Clippers’ rotation and Orton has played in just 11 games for the Magic this year.
Going pro may have seemed like the easy decision for Davis & Co. on Tuesday, but the NBA will be anything but easy for these future pros.
– Jeffrey Tomik
