In the midst of the hottest day of the year, the only thing on everybody’s mind is basketball and for none of the right reasons. There are twelve gyms in the SEC that might have the true faithful fanatics arriving about ten minutes before dawn to watch there illustrious team take a morning run. Those true fans are sitting in their fold out chairs with twice burnt coffee and eating an energy bar just to make it through the morning. The dedicated few who live and breathe basketball, and no they do not all live north or the Tennessee state line, these obsessed few always have their favorite past time in mind but today they are not the only SEC fans to be thinking about basketball. Today is the day that every SEC basketball fan fears and will later mourn, it is the NBA draft. On this day players turn down the opportunity for glory and greatness, to instead take home the bacon. We can all judge them for this decision but we can’t blame them.
Apparently all of us who have gambled on when pigs fly need to pay up, because Kentucky is back on top in basketball and Alabama is once again the flag ship of the SEC for football. The Wildcats have five studs that are all expected to go in the first round of the NBA draft: John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, and Eric Bledsoe. There are several other SEC schools that should have players represented in the draft tomorrow even though it might not be in the 1st round with the guaranteed pay check. The Crimson Tide have their graduating senior Mikhail Torrance, whom is a combo guard that can use his speed to take it to the rim but has the vision and presence of mind to know where all of his team mates are on the court. The great state of Mississippi has a player from each of its premier schools to be taken in the draft. The University of Mississippi has Terrico White the combo guard the NBA general managers dream of with his ability to run a team from the point while his true natural talents bring him to the shooting guard position where his ability to make shots from anywhere on the court is truly on display. While Mississippi State power forward Jarvis Varnado, who has become the NCAA leader in blocked shots is expected to be able to transfer to the big show easily if he can gain better control of how he takes his shots and stops bringing the ball back across his body when he goes to the rim.
The real story here is about the Kentucky Wildcats and the incredible good fortunes that John Calipari has brought them. Calipari has made himself a proven provider for all the up and coming prospects, which is the reason that two of this years top five player in the draft chose to serve under his tutelage. Every year there is a player who stands out and excels among the rest of the crowd; in the previous two years it was Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans to stand out while playing under John Calipari. The first time someone watches John Wall play it is apparent to all that he is destined for greatness. His grasp of the game and basketball IQ combined with his athleticism are two of the keys to why he will be going number one in the draft. His presence on the court is visible to all even the most unenlightened basketball fan. In close games this is the type of game changer that coaches dream about and opponents lose sleep over. In the span of a minute a player like John Wall has the ability to completely change the flow and intensity of a game. Which ever team manages to draft John Wall will be getting more than a piece of a franchise but also an answer to all of their prayers. The second power house player leaving Kentucky is Demarcus Cousins whose height and dominance have made him a hot commodity. He plays basketball like a ten year NBA veteran which can be contributed to his ability to see the game and find the open shot. Cousins could be the most influential player over the next two decades for whatever team he goes too. The next wildcat expected to be taken in the draft is Patrick Patterson the only player left over from Billy Gillepsie that managed to remain as an influential part of this team. Patterson has the ability by all accounts to be a solid pro power forward with the ability to score on the perimeter. Eric Bledsoe is the wildcard of the Wildcats because there is little doubt that he will play on a NBA roster but the real question is where will he go because it is being predicted that he could go anywhere from fifteenth to thirtieth. His ability to score in impossible scenarios has made him a regular on highlight films and also made him the player that scares any opposing team’s best defender. Lastly there is Daniel Orton the Center who was recruited by the previous staff and decided to stay for the opportunity to win a national championship. He is only known for his defensive presence but has the upside of possibly being able to improve his offense which makes him the last wildcat to be taken in the draft.