Calipari's Final Draft Recap

  Forty-eight is the final number of players that John Calipari sent to the NBA, through the draft, from the University of Kentucky. The first 2-day NBA Draft saw 3 players drafted out of Lexington: Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and Antonio Reeves. This may have been the last draft for a while that consists of this many Kentucky players, for better or for worse. Let’s dive into the results of the draft in the final year of Kentucky being an NBA factory.

The first Wildcat drafted was Kentucky’s very own Reed Sheppard. The homegrown talent was a massive surprise, to say the least, in his lone season at Kentucky. 247 Sports had Sheppard ranked as the 79th best recruit in the country after his senior year of high school, and he most certainly outplayed that ranking. Despite coming off the bench in college (which is a conversation for later) he made waves in the basketball world due to his unbelievable shooting and impressive on-ball defense. Sheppard led the nation in 3 point percentage, as he shot an outstanding 52% from beyond the arc. On top of his efficient scoring, Sheppard averaged over 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game as well, solidifying him as an all around offensive player. Building off of his offensive game, Sheppard led the Southeastern conference in steals per game, as he swiped a spectacular average of 2.5 balls per game. Sheppard also shocked many fans and scouts as he posted the highest vertical jump out of any of the draft prospects, leaping an astounding 42 inches in the air at the Draft Combine.

Along with the rest of basketball fans around the world, the Houston Rockets were so impressed by Sheppard’s abilities that they selected him with the 3rd overall pick in this year’s draft. They will add Sheppard to an already young and fun core consisting of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason. Sheppard fits well, and will likely get a healthy amount of minutes in his rookie year despite playing with a few established guards. I think Sheppard’s unmatched shooting ability gives him the highest floor and lowest “bust” potential in the class, and NBA fans should all be excited to watch him grow as a player and see how he pans out. Rockets fans are craving a good season, and adding Reed Sheppard will definitely help them on their strive back to the top of the Western Conference. 

Next up to be picked in the first round was the shiftiest man on the planet, Rob Dillingham. The San Antonio Spurs selected Dillingham with the 8th pick in the draft before quickly trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for future picks.

Dillingham was another guy who out-performed where the “experts” had him ranked as a high school prospect. In their final rankings, 247 Sports had Rob listed as the 21st best player in the class, and the 5th best point guard. Out of the four point guards ranked ahead of Dillingham, 3 remained in college while the other was drafted 21 picks after Rob. Coming off the bench at Kentucky, Dillingham averaged 15 points per game, along with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Like Sheppard, Dillingham shot an impressive mark from 3, as he connected on 44% of his jumpers from behind the arc. His offensive talent, along with his fun and flashy style of play, made Dillingham an intriguing draft prospect. 

The Hickory, North Carolina native will be joining former Kentucky star Karl-Anthony Towns, along with rising superstar Anthony Edwards and four time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves just got a strong taste of success, as they made the Western Conference this season, and are eager to build on that. Adding a talented, exciting point guard in Rob Dillingham will keep the energy high in Minneapolis and keep their momentum going. 

In hindsight, John Calipari’s widely criticized decision to bring two top-8 picks off the bench was simply disastrous and a horribly-failed experiment. After being constantly criticized for being stuck in his ways, refusing to bench 2 underwhelming players for 2 of the best players in the country was definitely a questionable decision. As the Wildcats consistently struggled to take a lead early in games with the starting lineup on the floor, it felt like an obvious decision to nearly everybody that it was time to switch things up and start at least one of the star players. I suppose that all of the controversial coaching decisions are Arkansas’ problem now, but there is definitely a fair argument that Calipari wasted the incredible, rare, talent that was on this year’s roster. 

The last draft pick from Kentucky in this year’s class was Antonio Reeves. The New Orleans Pelicans were the team to select Reeves when they took him with the 47th choice. Reeves was, in my opinion, our best player last season and I’m excited to see what he can do at the next level. Throughout the entire season, Reeves was Mr. Reliable for the Cats as he was just the second player in the Calipari-era to average over 20 points per game. He did it on impressive efficiency as well, shooting 51% from the field and 45% from three. Although it didn’t result in a win, Reeves was also the only bright spot in this year’s upset loss to Oakland, where he scored 27 points. 

Reeves has the potential to be a day 1 impact, since he’ll turn 24 at the start of next season and is already relatively developed as a player. His development from his first year at Kentucky to his second was incredible, and there is always more room for improvement at the next level as well. The Pelicans are another team that is trying to compete for a championship next season, and Reeves could compete for a spot in the rotation to help achieve that goal. Reeves was undoubtedly a fan favorite this year, and will definitely be backed with loads of support from BBN for the rest of his career. 

After going undrafted, the Philadelphia 76ers signed Justin Edwards. The former number 1 overall high school recruit never really found his footing in Lexington, but the potential is clearly there. Edwards definitely showed flashes of really good basketball in his time at Kentucky. In 32 games, in which he started 30, Edwards averaged about 9 points and 3 rebounds on 48% shooting. I will never forget his flawless game against Alabama, where he scored a career high 28 points on perfect 10/10 shooting. If Edwards can figure out a way to be more consistent and work his way into the rotation of his hometown team, he will definitely be seen as a big-time steal down the line.

Lastly, forward Tre Mitchell scored a Summer League deal with the incredibly young, fun, and talented Oklahoma City Thunder. Last year’s 1 seed will give Mitchell a chance to prove himself this summer, and see if he is good enough to make one of their rosters. Mitchell started well at Kentucky before dealing with constant shoulder injuries. He finished the season averaging about 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, and was arguably Kentucky’s best big man this season. Hopefully Mitchell can work his way onto an NBA roster, but it will be a difficult task.

All in all, I would consider this another successful draft for John Calipari and Kentucky. It will be exciting to watch these 5 players live out their dreams and compete at the next level, and it is always fun to claim them as Wildcats when they find success. It will certainly be interesting to see what the future looks like when it comes to Kentucky sending players to the NBA. If that is the end of being an NBA factory, it was a ton of fun. With that being said, winning postseason games is a lot more fun. Goodbye, John Calipari. Mark Pope, you’re on the clock.