Advertisement

Fifteen years, 50 picks. A history of UK basketball players drafted in the Calipari era.

In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

From John Wall to Antonio Reeves, the past 15 years of Kentucky basketball under coach John Calipari have made the program a perennial talking point on NBA draft night.

With Reeves’ selection Thursday — day two of the league’s first multi-night draft — the Calipari era will end with a total of 50 picks over those 15 years. The former UK coach attended the draft Wednesday night to see Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham go in the lottery, but he’s now in charge of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and every scholarship player on new Kentucky coach Mark Pope’s roster will be in his first season with the Wildcats.

As UK points toward the future under Pope, here’s a look back at those 50 picks of the Calipari era, a list that includes three No. 1 overall selections, 25 lottery picks and 37 first-rounders.

Former Kentucky star John Wall, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, was honored during a timeout at the 2023 ACC/SEC Challenge game against Miami in Rupp Arena on Nov. 28, 2023.
Former Kentucky star John Wall, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, was honored during a timeout at the 2023 ACC/SEC Challenge game against Miami in Rupp Arena on Nov. 28, 2023.

John Wall

Pick: No. 1 overall (2010).

Last game: Jan. 13, 2023.

The face of Calipari’s first Kentucky team was selected by the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick after leading the Wildcats to the 2010 Elite Eight, making him UK’s first one-and-done player by the modern definition. Wall played nine of his 11 NBA seasons with the Wizards — he’s not technically retired, though he didn’t play last season — and was a five-time All-Star selection. Among Calipari players, he ranks first in career NBA assists and steals. His 8.9 assists per game rank first among all former Kentucky players.

DeMarcus Cousins

Pick: No. 5 overall (2010).

Last game: April 27, 2022.

Like Wall, a fan favorite from the start of the Calipari era, Cousins was drafted by the Sacramento Kings and spent seven seasons there, playing a total of 11 years in the league with seven teams. A four-time All-Star, he averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the NBA — sixth and third among ex-Calipari players, respectively — and earlier this month was named the MVP of the Taiwan league finals after leading the Taiwan Beer Leopards to a championship.

Patrick Patterson

Pick: No. 14 overall (2010).

Last game: May 16, 2021.

A holdover from the Billy Gillispie era, Patterson accepted a team-first role in year one under Calipari and ended up being the third lottery pick off his first UK squad. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets and played for five teams over 11 seasons, averaging 6.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Eric Bledsoe

Pick: No. 18 overall (2010).

Last game: Feb. 3, 2022.

Sharing point guard duties with Wall on that first Calipari team, Bledsoe was picked by Oklahoma City before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night. He played 11 seasons with four different teams in the NBA and was a first-team All-Defensive Team selection for the 2018-19 season. He also won the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest. Bledsoe is second behind Wall in assists and steals among Calipari’s NBA players, and he’s fourth in total 3-pointers made. He played this past season in China and will lead a team of UK basketball players in “The Basketball Tournament” next month. Bledsoe’s 756 NBA games are the most of any Calipari era player.

Daniel Orton

Pick: No. 29 overall (2010).

Last game: Jan. 6, 2014.

A backup center on Calipari’s first Kentucky team, Orton left college basketball after just one season with relatively little playing time — 13.2 minutes per game — but was still picked by the Orlando Magic in the first round. He played three seasons for three NBA teams, averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.6 minutes over 51 total games. Orton played professionally for several seasons overseas after leaving the NBA, and he’ll team up with Bledsoe again next month in the TBT in Lexington.

Enes Freedom

Pick: No. 3 overall (2011).

Last game: Feb. 28, 2022.

Though he was never ruled eligible by the NCAA — and thus never played for the Wildcats — Enes Freedom (formerly known as Enes Kanter) stayed with the team throughout the 2010-11 season, which ended with the first of four trips to the Final Four during the Calipari era. Freedom ultimately played 11 seasons in the league, suiting up for five teams and averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Brandon Knight

Pick: No. 8 overall (2011).

Last game: April 1, 2022.

One of Calipari’s best scorers and the top player on the 2011 Final Four team, Knight was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and played for six teams over nine seasons. He averaged 14.0 points per game in the NBA — topping out at 19.6 points during his fifth season — but a series of injuries ultimately led to a relatively early departure from the league. Knight signed with a pro team in Greece earlier this year.

Josh Harrellson

Pick: No. 45 overall (2011).

Last game: Feb. 1, 2014.

Known as “Jorts” during his playing days, Harrellson was one of Calipari’s most unlikely draft picks after transferring in from a junior college in Illinois during the Billy Gillispie era and struggling to find a role for both coaches until a breakout senior year. Harrellson was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets and his rights were traded to the New York Knicks. He played 37 games for the Knicks, six games for the Miami Heat and 32 games for the Detroit Pistons — over the course of three seasons — before a lengthy international career. And he’s still playing professionally in Japan at age 35.

DeAndre Liggins

Pick: No. 53 overall (2011).

Another holdover from the Billy Gillispie era, Liggins was a key defensive player on Calipari’s 2011 Final Four team before being drafted by the Orlando Magic following that season. He ultimately played a total of 177 games with 24 starts at the NBA level, appearing for seven different teams. Liggins was also a two-time defensive player of the year in the G League (then called the D League), and he played this past season for a pro team in Saudi Arabia.

Anthony Davis, left, former UK assistant coach Kenny Payne, center, and DeMarcus Cousins joke around during Big Blue Madness in 2015.
Anthony Davis, left, former UK assistant coach Kenny Payne, center, and DeMarcus Cousins joke around during Big Blue Madness in 2015.

Anthony Davis

Pick: No. 1 overall (2012).

Current team: Los Angeles Lakers.

The most decorated player of the Calipari era, Davis earned national player of the year honors and led the Wildcats to an NCAA title during his freshman season, winning an Olympic gold medal and going to the New Orleans Hornets with the No. 1 overall pick that same year. Davis just wrapped up his 12th year in the league, and he’s already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer among former UK players with 17,717 points. (Dan Issel had 27,482 points as a pro, though 12,823 of those came in the ABA.) Davis also has more NBA rebounds than any other ex-Cat (again, Issel is No. 1 if ABA rebounds are counted, too), and Davis is the program’s all-time leading shot blocker in the NBA by a wide margin. He has been a nine-time All-Star selection, won the 2020 NBA title with the Lakers and has earned first-team All-NBA honors four times.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Pick: No. 2 overall (2012).

Last game: Aug. 30, 2020.

A fan favorite for his grit on the court during the 2012 title run, Kidd-Gilchrist went No. 2 overall to the Charlotte Bobcats and spent eight total seasons with that organization. In all, MKG played 446 games — with 356 starts — at the NBA level, but he struggled with injuries later in his career and played his final game with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2020 playoff bubble.

Terrence Jones

Pick: No. 18 overall (2012).

Last game: March 8, 2019.

A sophomore on the 2012 national title team, Jones was drafted by the Houston Rockets and spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with that team. He also played for the Pelicans and Bucks in 2016-17 — and made two final appearances for Houston in 2018-19 — before playing professionally elsewhere. Jones most recently played in Puerto Rico. He averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the NBA, appearing in 234 games.

Marquis Teague

Pick: No. 29 overall (2012).

Last game: April 4, 2018.

The starting point guard on UK’s 2012 national championship team, Teague opted for the NBA draft instead of returning to Lexington for a sophomore year — to a team that could have greatly used his help in the backcourt. Teague was drafted by the Bulls at the end of the first round and played 48 games as a rookie, but he appeared in only 43 NBA games after that and spent most of the 2014-18 in the developmental league. He averaged 2.4 points in 10.0 minutes per game and has played in South Korea, England and Greece over the past few years.

Doron Lamb

Pick: No. 42 overall (2012).

Last game: April 16, 2014.

The top scorer for Kentucky in the 2012 NCAA title game — and one of the best 3-point shooters in program history — Lamb opted for the draft after that championship season and played a total of 100 games in the NBA, spending time with the Bucks and the Magic. He averaged 3.5 points in 12.7 minutes per game in the league and has spent most of the past decade overseas, most recently playing in Italy. Lamb agreed to a contract with a Venezuelan pro team last week.

Darius Miller

Pick: No. 46 overall (2012).

Last game: April 5, 2021.

A senior on the 2012 title team, Miller was also the last UK player from a Kentucky high school to get drafted until Reed Sheppard was picked Wednesday night. The former Mason County star began his college career under Billy Gillispie. He made 28 starts in 271 career NBA games — 253 of them with New Orleans — but made only 18 appearances (for Oklahoma City) after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2019.

Nerlens Noel

Pick: No. 6 overall (2013).

Last game: March 12, 2023.

An elite shot-blocker on Kentucky’s ill-fated 2013 NIT team, Noel was a lottery pick despite suffering a torn ACL during his freshman season in college. He made his NBA debut for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 season and has played 467 games for six teams over the past 10 years. Noel is fifth all-time among former UK players in NBA blocked shots. Now 30 years old, he’s not yet retired from basketball, but he didn’t play in the league last season.

Archie Goodwin

Pick: No. 29 overall (2013).

Last game: April 12, 2017.

The leading scorer on UK’s 2012-13 team, Goodwin was picked late in the first round by Oklahoma City but traded twice on draft night. He ultimately debuted for the Phoenix Suns and played 165 total games for three teams. He averaged 6.3 points in 14.5 minutes per game and was out of the NBA before his 23rd birthday. Goodwin has played in several countries since and was in China this season.

Julius Randle

Pick: No. 7 overall (2014).

Current team: New York Knicks.

The biggest star — and one of six incoming McDonald’s All-Americans — on the freshman-centric 2013-14 squad, Randle suffered a season-ending injury during his rookie debut for the Lakers before eventually turning into a star NBA player. He won the league’s Most Improved Player award three years ago and has been selected as an All-Star in three of the past four seasons — all with the New York Knicks. He’s been sidelined the past few months with a shoulder injury. Randle is fifth among Calipari era players in NBA scoring and fourth in rebounds, and he’s averaged 19.1 points and 9.4 boards per game in the league.

James Young

Pick: No. 17 overall (2014).

Last game: March 21, 2018.

Selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round following his freshman year, Young played 95 games in the league over four seasons, averaging just 2.3 points per game and shooting 27.7% from 3-point range before making his final appearance more than six years ago. He has since played for pro teams in Greece, Israel and Italy.

On April 9, 2015, seven Kentucky players announced they were leaving school early to enter that year’s NBA draft. From left: Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harrison, Trey Lyles, Dakari Johnson, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Aaron Harrison. Towns was the No. 1 overall pick, and the only player who went undrafted was Aaron Harrison, who later played parts of three seasons in the NBA.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Pick: No. 1 overall (2015).

Current team: Minnesota Timberwolves.

The last of Calipari’s three No. 1 overall picks as Kentucky’s coach, Towns was the second-leading scorer and top rebounder and shot-blocker on the Cats’ nearly perfect, 38-1 team during the 2014-15 season. He’s spent his entire NBA career with the Timberwolves, earning Rookie of the Year honors, four All-Star selections and winning the 3-Point Shootout two of the last three years. Towns has averaged 22.9 points and 10.8 rebounds for his pro career. That scoring number is the third-best in UK history, and his rebounding average is the best ever in the NBA for a former Wildcat. He’s also fourth among all former UK players in made 3-pointers at the NBA level, and his 39.8% from 3-point range is the best of any ex-Cat that has played more than one season in the league.

Willie Cauley-Stein

Pick: No. 6 overall (2015).

Last game: March 2, 2022.

A consensus first-team All-American and the national defensive player of the year during the Wildcats’ 38-1 season, Cauley-Stein was a fan favorite who stayed at Kentucky for three years before turning pro — working his way from a four-star recruit to a top-10 pick in the NBA draft. He played 422 games over seven seasons in the league — mostly with the Sacramento Kings — and averaged 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds for his career. He played last season in Italy.

Trey Lyles

Pick: No. 12 overall (2015).

Current team: Sacramento Kings.

A freshman on the 38-1 squad, Lyles started 21 games for that team before going to the Utah Jazz as a one-and-done lottery pick. He played for the Jazz, Nuggets, Spurs and Pistons before more recently settling into a role as a key reserve for the Sacramento Kings, his team for the past two and a half seasons and now the one with which he’s played the most games. Lyles averaged 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game last season.

Devin Booker

Pick: No. 13 overall (2015).

Current team: Phoenix Suns.

The fourth player selected from that 2014-15 UK roster, Booker never started a game for the Wildcats but quickly blossomed into one the NBA’s biggest stars. Still just 27 years old, he’s already fourth all-time in points scored by a former Wildcat in the league (behind Anthony Davis, Antoine Walker and Dan Issel), and he’s on pace to break Walker’s record for most NBA 3-pointers by an ex-Cat next season. Booker is a four-time All-Star and was a first-team All-NBA selection in 2022, the year after leading the Suns to the NBA Finals in his first playoffs appearance. Booker’s current career average of 24.3 points per game is the most of any former UK player in NBA history.

Andrew Harrison

Pick: No. 44 overall (2015).

Last game: Dec. 21, 2018.

UK’s starting point guard for two Final Four teams — including that 38-1 squad — Harrison was a rare top-10 recruit who stuck around for multiple seasons with the Wildcats (along with his twin brother, Aaron). Harrison made 64 starts for the Memphis Grizzlies over his first two seasons in the NBA, but he ultimately played in just 145 games in the league. He spent last season with a pro team in Greece.

Dakari Johnson

Pick: No. 48 overall (2015).

Last game: April 23, 2018.

The sixth and final pick following that near-perfect 2014-15 season, Johnson was taken midway through the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder and made his NBA debut with that franchise in 2017, first spending more than two years in the developmental league. After playing just 31 games during the 2017-18 season, he embarked on a pro career overseas and emerged as an elite player in China, where he was still playing last season.

Jamal Murray

Pick: No. 7 overall (2016).

Current team: Denver Nuggets.

A late addition to Calipari’s 2015-16 roster, Murray averaged 20.0 points per game during his only season as a Wildcat, and his 113 3-pointers rank second in single-season UK history behind Jodie Meeks (117). Murray was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and helped lead that team to the NBA championship last year. He’s already third all-time in career NBA 3-pointers by a former Kentucky player with 990 despite missing the entire 2021-22 season with a knee injury. Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range — all career highs — last season.

Skal Labissiere

Pick: No. 28 overall (2016).

Last game: Dec. 28, 2019.

Firmly in the discussion — alongside Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown — for No. 1 overall recruit in the 2015 class, Labissiere had an underwhelming freshman season at Kentucky, averaging just 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He still went in the first round of the draft, selected by the Phoenix Suns and immediately traded to the Sacramento Kings. He played 148 games over four seasons for the Kings and Trail Blazers and resurfaced last season in the G League, where he averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and was chosen for the league’s “Next Up Game” during All-Star weekend.

Tyler Ulis

Pick: No. 34 overall (2016).

Last game: Oct. 18, 2018.

One of the biggest fan favorites of the Calipari era, Ulis was a backup on the 2014-15 team and a first-team All-American point guard and Bob Cousy Award winner as a sophomore. He was selected early in the second round by the Phoenix Suns and played two seasons there before ending up with his hometown Chicago Bulls for the 2018-19 season. Ulis appeared in just one game for the Bulls before undergoing hip surgery and was attempting to come back to the league when he was severely injured in a car crash. Ulis, who has not played since that accident, spent the past two seasons as a student assistant on Calipari’s staff at Kentucky and is expected to join his former coach at Arkansas after he graduates from UK later this year. In the meantime, Ulis will be the head coach of the La Familia squad in the TBT next month.

De’Aaron Fox

Pick: No. 5 overall (2017).

Current team: Sacramento Kings.

The first of three lottery picks from Kentucky’s Elite Eight squad in 2017, Fox is still just 26 years old and has established himself as one of the NBA’s top point guards. He was a first-time All-Star last year and was high on the list of snubs after the 2024 selections were announced. Fox has played his entire seven-year career with the Sacramento Kings and already sits sixth all-time in NBA assists by a former Cat and third in assists per game (behind John Wall and Rajon Rondo). As of now, he’s averaging 21.2 points and 6.1 assists per game as an NBA player — the only ex-Cat ever with a 20 and 6 average in those categories.

Malik Monk

Pick: No. 11 overall (2017).

Current team: Sacramento Kings.

Fox’s running mate in the UK backcourt during that 2016-17 season, Monk is teammates once again with the former Kentucky point guard in Sacramento, where he’s turned around his career after a relatively bumpy NBA start and just last week agreed to a new four-year, $78 million deal to stay with the team. Monk averaged 15.4 and 5.1 assists — both career highs — last season, and he remains the most prolific freshman scorer in UK history. His 754 points in just one year as a Wildcat rank No. 1 all-time in that category and fourth all-time regardless of class (behind only Dan Issel, Jodie Meeks and Jamal Mashburn).

Bam Adebayo

Pick: No. 14 overall (2017).

Current team: Miami Heat.

The last of three lottery picks from the 2016-17 squad, Adebayo has developed into the best of the bunch at the NBA level, where he’s among the top big men in the game at the moment. A three-time All-Star with two trips to the NBA Finals, he made his first appearance on the NBA All-Defensive first team this season after being a second-team selection the previous four years. Adebayo has averaged 15.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for his NBA career. He will join Devin Booker and Anthony Davis on the 2024 Olympic team and this week agreed to a three-year, $166 million extension with the Miami Heat.

Kevin Knox

Pick: No. 9 overall (2018).

Current team: Detroit Pistons.

The leading scorer on the 2017-18 UK team, Knox was always viewed as a high-upside (but incomplete) prospect, and that potential got him a spot in the top 10 of the draft. He started 57 games as a rookie with the Knicks and played parts of four seasons in New York before appearing in games for Atlanta, Portland and Detroit. Knox was traded to Utah earlier this year but waived the next day, and he spent the end of the season with Portland’s G League team. He has averaged 7.4 points over 306 career NBA games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a standout player for Kentucky during the 2017-18 season and has developed into one of the NBA’s biggest stars with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a standout player for Kentucky during the 2017-18 season and has developed into one of the NBA’s biggest stars with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Pick: No. 11 overall (2018).

Current team: Oklahoma City Thunder.

The breakout star of the 2017-18 team, Gilgeous-Alexander went from an overshadowed, four-star recruit in the 2017 class to a lottery pick in the 2018 draft, and he’s now among the biggest basketball stars in the world. The Canadian guard was drafted by the Hornets and immediately traded to the Clippers, playing well as a rookie in L.A. before being dealt to Oklahoma City in a deal involving Paul George. During his five seasons in OKC, the ex-Cat has averaged 26.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, earning first-team All-NBA honors the past two years and finishing second in MVP voting in 2024.

Jarred Vanderbilt

Pick: No. 41 overall (2018).

Current team: Los Angeles Lakers.

Following a brief UK career hampered by injury, Vanderbilt left school as a second-round pick in the draft. He shuffled back and forth between the NBA and the G League during his first two seasons as a pro before catching on as a starter with the Minnesota Timberwolves in year three. Vanderbilt has already played for four NBA teams, spending all of last season with the Lakers, though injuries limited him to just 29 games, in which he averaged 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. He signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension last year.

Hamidou Diallo

Pick: No. 45 overall (2018).

Current team: Washington Wizards.

Diallo was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets, traded to the Hornets a couple of weeks later and then dealt to Oklahoma City that same day. He won the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie, later carved out a role as a double-digit scorer with the Detroit Pistons and was most recently with the Washington Wizards, though he played only two games in the NBA this past season (while making 29 appearances for the Wizards’ G League team). He has averaged 8.6 points over 265 career games.

P.J. Washington

Pick: No. 12 overall (2019).

Current team: Dallas Mavericks.

The star of the 2018-19 team — the last Calipari squad to advance beyond the first week of the NCAA Tournament — Washington played through an injury and almost led the Cats to the 2019 Final Four before becoming a lottery pick after two seasons. He was drafted by Charlotte and spent most of his four and a half seasons with the Hornets as a starter. Washington was dealt to the Mavericks earlier this year and ended up being a key player in their run to the NBA Finals, starting all 22 postseason games and averaging 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in 35.7 minutes per game during the playoffs.

Tyler Herro

Pick: No. 13 overall (2019).

Current team: Miami Heat.

An unexpected star on the 2018-19 team, Herro’s 93.5% rate on free throws is the best in program history at Kentucky, and he’s been an 87.2% free-throw shooter in the NBA, third behind only Jodie Meeks (87.9%) and Kyle Macy (87.3%) among ex-Cats. Herro has spent all five of his pro seasons with the Heat, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2022 and playing a key role in the team’s trip to the 2020 NBA Finals as a rookie. He averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game last season and is due to make $93 million over the next three years.

Keldon Johnson

Pick: No. 29 overall (2019).

Current team: San Antonio Spurs.

Another star freshman on the 2018-19 squad, Johnson has played all five of his NBA seasons with the Spurs and led the team in scoring last year (before rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama burst onto the scene this past season). Johnson has averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during his career so far, and he’s set to make nearly $55 million over the next three seasons.

Former Kentucky teammates Tyrese Maxey, left, and Immanuel Quickley met up during the Wildcats’ game against Penn at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia last season.
Former Kentucky teammates Tyrese Maxey, left, and Immanuel Quickley met up during the Wildcats’ game against Penn at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia last season.

Tyrese Maxey

Pick: No. 21 overall (2020).

Current team: Philadelphia 76ers.

Now viewed as one of the steals of the 2020 draft, Maxey, who averaged 14.0 points in 34.5 minutes per game in his one year at Kentucky, was a first-time NBA All-Star this past season and is one of the game’s brightest young stars (still just 23 years old). He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this season, averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. Maxey, who had a reputation behind the scenes as one of the most likable players in the Calipari era, was also awarded the NBA Sportsmanship Award following the 2023-24 season.

Immanuel Quickley

Pick: No. 25 overall (2020).

Current team: Toronto Raptors.

The leading scorer on the 2019-20 team — a squad that was not able to play in the NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic — Quickley blossomed into a star after his up-and-down freshman season. He played his first three and a half seasons with the New York Knicks before getting dealt to Toronto, where he started all 38 of his games with the Raptors to end the 2023-24 campaign. Quickley averaged 17.0 points and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range — all career highs — this past season. He is expected to sign a new five-year deal worth $175 million to stay with the Raptors, according to multiple league reports Friday.

Nick Richards

Pick: No. 42 overall (2020).

Current team: Charlotte Hornets.

A late-blooming — by Calipari era standards — star in his third season in college, Richards was drafted in the second round and has spent all four of his years in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets. This past season, he averaged career highs of 9.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while making 51 starts in 67 appearances. Richards is signed with Charlotte for the next two years — making $5 million per season.

Isaiah Jackson

Pick: No. 22 overall (2021).

Current team: Indiana Pacers.

The top pick from Calipari’s 9-16 team amid the COVID-19 shutdown, Jackson was a prolific shot-blocker at Kentucky, and that’s been his best attribute in three NBA seasons, averaging 1.3 blocks in 14.9 minutes per game for his career so far. He’s made 30 starts in 158 games for the Pacers, who acquired his rights on NBA draft night three years ago. This past season, Jackson averaged 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game — all career lows.

Brandon Boston Jr.

Pick: No. 51 overall (2021).

Current team: Los Angeles Clippers.

The top-ranked recruit in what was supposed to be a stellar 2020 class, Boston did co-lead the 9-16 team in scoring (with veteran Davion Mintz), but he was inconsistent in his one season at Kentucky and his draft stock fell as a result. He was drafted by the Grizzlies and dealt to the Pelicans before ultimately landing with the Clippers (all during the 2021 offseason). Boston has played in 105 games over the past three seasons with the Clippers, averaging 6.2 points in 12.9 minutes and shooting just 39.6% from the field.

Shaedon Sharpe

Pick: No. 7 overall (2022).

Current team: Portland Trail Blazers.

Many UK fans won’t count Sharpe among the “ex-Cats” — he was on campus for one semester and never played for Kentucky, though he did practice with the 2021-22 team — but he was still a lottery pick following his brief stay in Lexington. Sharpe was averaging 15.9 points per game for the Blazers as a second-year player this past season before suffering an abdominal injury. He did not appear in any games after undergoing surgery for that injury in February.

TyTy Washington

Pick: No. 29 overall (2022).

Current team: Milwaukee Bucks.

Ultimately the only draft selection from that 2021-22 UK squad who actually played for the team, Washington was taken with the second-to-last pick of the first round by the Grizzlies, who traded him to the Timberwolves, who traded him to the Rockets, and he appeared in 31 games as a rookie for Houston before being traded to the Hawks last summer. Atlanta dealt him to Oklahoma City four days later, and the Thunder waived Washington a month after that. He played 11 games with the Bucks this season, spending most of the campaign with the team’s G League affiliate.

Cason Wallace

Pick: No. 10 overall (2023).

Current team: Oklahoma City Thunder.

After one season in college, Wallace immediately carved out a role — 6.8 points in 20.6 minutes, playing in all 82 regular-season games — for Oklahoma City, which finished first in the Western Conference standings this season. He appeared in all 10 playoff games for the Thunder, playing the most minutes of any OKC bench player during the postseason. Wallace shot 41.9% from 3-point range during the regular season and earned second-team All-Rookie honors.

Chris Livingston

Pick: No. 58 overall (2023).

Current team: Milwaukee Bucks.

Going with the final pick of last year’s draft after an uneven freshman season in college, Livingston signed a unique, four-year contract worth $7.7 million with the Bucks. He averaged 1.2 points in 4.3 minutes over 21 games (plus two brief appearances in playoff games) in the NBA as a rookie, and Livingston played a total of 16 games in the G League this season.

Rob Dillingham, left, and Reed Sheppard were stars off the bench for John Calipari’s final Kentucky team. They were both selected in the NBA draft Wednesday night.
Rob Dillingham, left, and Reed Sheppard were stars off the bench for John Calipari’s final Kentucky team. They were both selected in the NBA draft Wednesday night.

Reed Sheppard

Pick: No. 3 overall (2024).

Current team: Houston Rockets.

Sheppard, last year’s Kentucky Mr. Basketball, was an unexpected star in year one for the Wildcats, earning multiple national freshman of the year awards despite coming off the bench for most of the season. He was mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall pick at various points in the predraft process, ultimately going No. 3 to Houston, where he’ll join a team stacked with young talent as a rookie next season. Among former UK players, Sheppard is now the highest-drafted Kentucky native in the history of the program.

Rob Dillingham

Pick: No. 8 overall (2024).

Current team: Minnesota Timberwolves.

The final first-round pick of the Calipari era, Dillingham, like Sheppard, was primarily a bench player for the Wildcats this past season. He earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors as a freshman and was viewed as one of the best offensive prospects in this NBA draft. Dillingham was actually drafted by the San Antonio Spurs but dealt to Minnesota on Wednesday night, and he’ll team up with Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the Timberwolves as a rookie next season.

Antonio Reeves

Pick: No. 47 overall (2024).

Current team: New Orleans Pelicans.

Of the 50 draft picks in the Calipari era, Reeves was the first and only to commit to the coach as a transfer from another program, spending his first three seasons at Illinois State before playing at Kentucky the past two years. As a fifth-year senior, Reeves averaged 20.2 points per game — the most by any player in Calipari’s 15 seasons as UK coach. He graduated from the university in May, and his skill as a three-level scorer could lead to a long NBA career, which will begin next season in the Pelicans organization.

Will these NBA-bound UK basketball players side with Calipari or the Cats? We asked them.

John Calipari was at 2024 NBA draft to support Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard in first round

Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves a 2nd-round pick by Magic, traded to Pelicans in 2024 NBA draft

UK’s Justin Edwards, once a possible No. 1 pick, goes undrafted but is headed to the 76ers

Everything Reed Sheppard said after the former Kentucky star was taken in 2024 NBA draft

Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard chosen 3rd overall by the Houston Rockets in 2024 NBA draft

Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham chosen 8th overall in NBA draft by Spurs, traded to Timberwolves

Now a college graduate, UK’s Antonio Reeves is out to prove that he belongs in the NBA

Rob Dillingham talks about his shortcomings. And why he thinks he’ll be better in the NBA.

Reed Sheppard reflects on his decision to leave Kentucky. ‘It’s not what I was expecting.’