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Towns, Cauley-Stein among seven Kentucky players to enter NBA draft
Seven Kentucky players will enter the upcoming NBA draft.
In a press conference Thursday, coach John Calipari announced that Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Devin Booker and Dakari Johnson have played their final seasons with the Wildcats.
"We had a meeting to begin our year, and the meeting was based on them," Calipari said. "My comment was, 'My goal is to have eight of you be drafted if you choose to put your name in the draft.' They knew they would have to be the most selfless, sharing, sacrificing group of young people ever in this game for that to happen, and they were."
The NBA's No. 1 Draft Picks in the Lottery Era
1985: Patrick Ewing
1986: Brad Daugherty
1987: David Robinson
1988: Danny Manning
1989: Pervis Ellison
1990: Derrick Coleman
New Jersey Nets
1991: Larry Johnson
1992: Shaquille O'Neal
1993: Chris Webber
Orlando Magic
1994: Glenn Robinson
1995: Joe Smith
1996: Allen Iverson
1997: Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs
1998: Michael Olowokandi
Milwaukee Bucks
1999: Elton Brand
2000: Kenyon Martin
New Jersey Nets
2001: Kwame Brown
2002: Yao Ming
2003: LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers
2004: Dwight Howard
Orlando Magic
2005: Andrew Bogut
Milwaukee Bucks
2006: Andrea Bargnani
2007: Greg Oden
2008: Derrick Rose
Chicago Bulls
2009: Blake Griffin
Los Angeles Clippers
2010: John Wall
Washington Wizards
2011: Kyrie Irving
Cleveland Cavaliers
2012: Anthony Davis
New Orleans Hornets
2013: Anthony Bennett
Cleveland Cavaliers
2014: Andrew Wiggins
Cleveland Cavaliers
2015: Karl-Anthony Towns
Calipari noted that the injured Alex Poythress would have made the number eight. Towns is projected by many as the No. 1 overall pick, with Cauley-Stein projected for the lottery and Lyles and Booker also considered potential first-round selections.
"During this year it was about team. They shared, they sacrificed, it was about team," Calipari added. "Now it's about each individual making a decision not based on what's right for the university, not me and our staff, but what's right for them and their families. I'm not convincing anyone to stay and I'm not pushing anyone out the door. This is their choice."
Kentucky returns Poythress, Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee and Dominique Hawkins next season, and welcomes in touted recruits Skal Labissiere, Isaiah Briscoe and Charles Matthews.
- Jeremy Woo
