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
Manny Millan/SI
1986: Brad Daugherty
Manny Millan/SI
1987: David Robinson
Damian Strohmeyer, David E. Klutho, Manny Millan, John W. McDonough/SI
1988: Danny Manning
Mike Powell/Getty Images
1989: Pervis Ellison
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
1990: Derrick Coleman
John Iacono, Chuck Solomon/SI
1991: Larry Johnson
David E. Klutho/SI
1992: Shaquille O'Neal
Manny Millan, John W. McDonough(2), Walter Iooss Jr./SI
1993: Chris Webber
Bill Frakes/SI
1994: Glenn Robinson
Manny Millan/SI
1995: Joe Smith
David E. Klutho/SI
1996: Allen Iverson
Manny Millan, Al Tielemans/SI
1997: Tim Duncan
John W. McDonough(3), Bob Rosato/SI
1998: Michael Olowokandi
John W. McDonough/SI
1999: Elton Brand
John W. McDonough/SI
2000: Kenyon Martin
John W. McDonough/SI
2001: Kwame Brown
John Biever/SI
2002: Yao Ming
John W. McDonough/SI
2003: LeBron James
Greg Nelson/SI
2004: Dwight Howard
Walter Iooss Jr./SI
2005: Andrew Bogut
John Biever/SI
2006: Andrea Bargnani
David E. Klutho/SI
2007: Greg Oden
Rick Bowmer/AP
2008: Derrick Rose
David E. Klutho/SI
2009: Blake Griffin
John W. McDonough/SI
2010: John Wall
David E. Klutho/SI
2011: Kyrie Irving
John Biever/SI
2012: Anthony Davis
Greg Nelson/SI
2013: Anthony Bennett
Greg Nelson/SI
2014: Andrew Wiggins
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
2015: Karl-Anthony Towns
Isaac Baldizon/Getty Images
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
