Whether or not you believe John Calipari is a genius or is making a mockery of the new NBA Draft process, he is certainly trying to be different.
Kentucky’s head coach took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to announce that all — yes all — of his eligible players, including his walk-ons, will submit their names for the June 23 NBA Draft.
A new rule in place beginning this year states that any underclassman can enter the draft and attend the NBA Draft Combine while still maintaining his eligibility as long as he does not retain an agent. In order to remain eligible, players have to withdraw from the draft within 10 days of the combine, which runs May 11-15.
“When the season’s over, it’s about each individual player and what’s right for them and their families,” Calipari tweeted. “With that being said, every player who is eligible for the draft, including our walk-ons, will submit their names for the NBA Draft in hopes of being invited to the Combine in May.”
“I will not be surprised that a lot of players do this,” one NBA executive told SNY.tv.
Kentucky generally has a slew of players leave for the NBA every spring, and this time around should be no different.
Canadian freshman sensation Jamal Murray (No. 7), freshman big man Skal Labissiere (No. 10) and sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis (No. 19) all appear on the latest DraftExpress mock draft for 2016. The 2017 DraftExpress mock contains former Roselle Catholic standout Isaiah Briscoe (No. 43), a freshman guard.
Lasbissiere was at one time the projected No. 1 overall pick, but his struggles this season in Lexington contributed to his stock falling.
Conversely, Ulis’ stock has skyrocketed of late. The Chicago product was a projected second-round pick for much of the season until a late-season surge propelled him inside the top 20.
NJosh Newman
