6 First Rounders Who Might Disappoint

In every NBA Draft, some players are just duds.

For every second-round steal — Gilbert Arenas, before the gun charges — there’s a second overall pick that labors to crack a starting lineup, let alone dominate opponents at an All-Star level. I’m talking to you Darko Milicic. Several players in this draft appear to be attractive picks, but certain red flags make them candidates to flop at the next level.

Top Tier Talent

Cole Aldrich, Kansas

What to love: The Jayhawks’ 6-10 junior has the look of a legitimate center, and he has a national championship under his belt. Aldrich was one of the top rebounders in college basketball, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game.

What to hate: Aldrich’s scoring was inconsistent last season. After adjusting scoring for playing time and team tempo, Aldrich had the second-worst per-possession scoring average of any potential lottery pick. And he didn’t have a great workout at the draft combine, posting some of the worst vertical jump results. Aldrich might not have the athleticism necessary to overcome better post defenders in the NBA.

Ekpe Udoh, Baylor

What to love: Udoh was a game-changing defender for the Bears because he averaged 3.7 blocks per game. At 6-10, Udoh is long and athletic, with an excellent vertical leap for a big man.

What to hate: His offensive game is behind the curve, especially for a 23 year old. Udoh had the worst per-possession scoring average of the likely lottery picks, and his shooting percentage, 49 percent, wasn’t great for a big man who stays mostly near the basket. Unlike Aldrich, Udoh has the athleticism of an NBA power forward but lacks any of the polish needed to shine at the next level.

First-Round Reaches

Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky

What to love: As the second option at guard alongside John Wall, Bledsoe helped the Wildcats storm through the regular season and NCAA Tournament before losing to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. He flashed plenty of potential for leading an offense, averaging 2.9 assists per game despite playing second fiddle to Wall at the point.

What to hate: Bledsoe’s shooting was inconsistent at 46.2 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. And he committed too many turnovers: three per game. After adjusting for playing time and tempo, Bledsoe had the fourth-worst scoring average of the top 65 draft picks. He’s raw and could turn into a project.

Avery Bradley, Texas

What to love: Bradley was one of the most heralded recruits entering last season, and he finished No. 2 on the Longhorns in scoring. He shined at the combine, posting a nearly 38-inch vertical leap and torching the three-quarter court sprint in 3.1 seconds.

What to hate: Like Bledsoe, Bradley was horribly inconsistent, a problem that beset the entire Texas squad. Bradley barely edged Bledsoe as the fifth-worst prospect out of 65 in terms of scoring after adjusting for playing time and tempo. Bradley shot even worse than Bledsoe at 43.2 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from the free throw line. At 6-2, he’s a tiny, inconsistent shooter, making Bradley a risky pick. He’s too small to play the 2 guard spot in the NBA, and he didn’t run the point at Texas.

Craig Brackins, Iowa State

What to love: Brackins reliably delivered double-doubles for the Cyclones despite being the team’s only major threat. He averaged 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. And he has an eight-foot wingspan.

What to hate: Brackins’ scoring dipped significantly this past season, and his shooting percentage fell from 47.5 percent to 42.0 percent. His points per possession put him among the bottom 25 out of 65. He tested the NBA Draft waters last season and didn’t excite teams enough to receive a first-round guarantee. Since then, his game has seemingly regressed.

Soloman Alabi, Florida State

What to love: At 7-1, Alabi has the height that NBA teams covet. He was the centerpiece of a stout Seminoles defense that was one of the toughest to score against last season. Alabi averaged more than two blocks per game. Offensively, he shot better than 53 percent from the field.

What to hate: Alabi was a combine disaster with one of the worst vertical jumps and slowest agility and sprint times of all participants. Alabi’s offensive game is in the middle of the road when adjusting for playing time and tempo. And for a 7-footer, you’d think he’d grab more than 6.2 rebounds per game.

Players You Might Not Know — Yet

Despite reams of scouting reports and hours of tape review, NBA teams end up making their best educated guess when picking a player who usually is supposed to develop into a future starter — if not an All Star.

Shortly after team reps submit their picks to David Stern, team fans and executives cross their fingers and pray that the newest member of their squad can live up to expectations. For lottery picks, those expectations are lofty. For the rest of the first-round picks, expectations vary from long-term project to immediate bench contributor. And for second-round picks, anything more than 10 points per game in their first season or two is exceptional.

As always, there are a few players who exceed those expectations, much to the delight of fans, coaches and members of the front office. We have identified some of the potential steals in this year’s draft. … Continue Reading

Cream of Draft Crop Have Plenty of Promise

With the NBA Finals in full effect and the LeBron James sweepstakes as the preferred topic of discussion in the background, not everyone remembers the NBA Draft is also on this month’s schedule. And no one’s to blame, really. Despite the talent the 2010 class holds, the draft has seen better days.

These 2010 guys are out to prove something, though. One won’t know just how great a draft class it will be until years down the road, once these soon-to-be-rookies go on to participate in several All-Star games, win an MVP or simply bust out to play in Europe.

With that disclaimer in play, here is the best the 2010 NBA Draft has to offer.

1. John Wall, point guard, Kentucky

Wall’s undisputedly No. 1. Not only did he help make Kentucky one of the best teams in college basketball last season, he did it as a freshman while averaging great numbers: 16.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. The 19-year-old is a pure point guard with terrific size, speed and court vision. What he needs to improve is his inconsistent jump shot. But other than that, he’s exactly what troubled Washington — owner of the No. 1 pick — needs after such a tumultuous season.

2. Evan Turner, small forward, Ohio State

Averaging 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game, Turner got to the rim and grabbed misses almost at will in college. He’s an offensive workhorse who can pass while also excelling on defense. His court vision also is outstanding, evidenced by his six assists per game in 2009-10. Just call him Mr. Versatility. It would be interesting to see how much he gets the ball in Philadelphia, which has the No. 2 pick, though. He was the man in Ohio, but he would be Andre Iguodala’s sidekick in Philly.

3. DeMarcus Cousins, center, Kentucky

So Wall didn’t make Kentucky a contender by himself. He had himself a stud of a big man helping him. Standing at 6-11 and weighing 270 pounds, Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in limited playing time — mostly because of foul trouble. He’s only 19 years old and has a lot of potential, good and bad. He has great hands and a scoring mentality, but there are concerns about his weight and maturity. There’s no question Cousins has all the tools necessary to be very good in the NBA. The New Jersey Nets, who have the No. 3 pick, would hope he decides to use them.

4. Greg Monroe, power forward, Georgetown

Two seasons at Georgetown was all Monroe needed to be NBA ready. He’s a double-double machine with great passing ability, and he’s a lefty. He can create his own shot but needs to work on his jump shot, a lot. He’s only 20, though, so there’s a lot of potential for the already-skilled big man. He’ll be a nice pickup for Minnesota, if the Timberwolves take him with the No. 4 pick, who could really use the help after going 15-67 last season.

5. Derrick Favors, power forward, Georgia Tech

The youngest player entering the 2010 NBA Draft, Favors was among the top players in field goal percentage (61 percent) during the 2009-10 season. He averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game. He’s a very effective big man with quickness and athleticism. His youth also means his body hasn’t fully developed, though, so he’ll need to gain some muscle to be a difference-maker. There’s nowhere to go but up for Favors, and the Kings (No. 5 pick) will likely take him.

The only certainty in this 2010 Draft, it seems, is that Wall will go No. 1. Turner at No. 2 is also as good a prediction as a Tim Duncan bank shot. Picks No. 3 through 5, however, can be switched around among New Jersey, Minnesota and Sacramento. None of those big men will be immediate franchise saviors. Potential is their main label.

College Seniors Get Ready to Graduate to the NBA

For college seniors entering the NBA Draft, the most pressing – and depressing – question is: If you’re talented enough for the NBA, why aren’t you in the league already?

In 2009, the only college seniors to hear their name called in the first round were Tyler Hansbrough, who went No. 13 to the Indiana Pacers, and Toney Douglas, who went No. 29 to the New York Knicks. That’s not surprising, as many of the most talented players jump to the NBA long before graduating with a degree.

This draft figures to be similar, with freshmen like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors coming off the board near the top of the draft. The first four-year player might be waiting a while to land an NBA home. Here’s a rundown of some of the best seniors by position.

Wing Players

Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia

No one who watched West Virginia in the Final Four will forget Da’Sean Butler going down with an ugly ACL injury. Will he ever recover? That’s a question that will scare away many NBA teams. However, someone might take a chance on him in the second round, especially because Butler is a warrior and leader who proved he can score. But even when healthy, Butler was a streaky shooter with inconsistent range.

Damion James, Texas

James was a double-double machine for the Longhorns last season, averaging about 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. He’s a strong three-point shooter and figures to transition nicely as a small forward at the next level. However, his lack of explosiveness will likely cause him to fall to the bottom half of the first round.

Quincy Pondexter, Washington

Pondexter’s game is on the rise. During his senior season with the Huskies, he improved his outside shooting to about 35 percent from behind the arc. And his scoring jumped to nearly 20 points per game. He’s a lean, athletic forward who could become a steal for a team at the end of the first round.

Stanley Robinson, Connecticut

Although Robinson is blessed with NBA-caliber athleticism, his inconsistency could land him in the NBA Development League. Just check out his three-point shooting stats. As a sophomore, he torched the nets, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc. But his shooting dropped like a rock as a junior, to 13 percent. During his latest campaign, his shooting touch was better but not spectacular at 34 percent. Robinson is a solid rebounder, but his total per 40 minutes dropped from his junior to senior season. Robinson is a classic tease – a super athletic forward who could be a star or complete bust.

Big Men

Jerome Jordan, Tulsa

Jordan flirted with the NBA Draft last season but pulled out to play for the Golden Hurricane in a season that was supposed to be special. The plans didn’t work out, and Jordan fell off the radar. He is a legitimate 7-footer – always a plus when looking to score an NBA job. And Jordan averaged more than two blocks per game in addition to contributing about 15 points and nine rebounds per game. His skills are unexceptional, which might scare away teams that need more post production. But he could become valuable to someone in the second round. It will be interesting to see if Jordan or Mississippi State’s James Varnado comes off the board first.

Dexter Pittman, Texas

The Longhorns’ beefiest post player will be lucky to hear his name called in the second round. In four years at Texas, Pittman struggled to maintain his weight around 300 pounds. He also frequently got in foul trouble, never averaging more than 20 minutes per game in four years. He’s a big guy, and if an NBA team can whip him into shape, he could become a solid reserve for a team’s post players.

James Varnado, Mississippi State

Varnado is a defensive maestro who dominated the post in college, averaging better than four blocks per game for the past three seasons. His great field goal percentage is largely attributable to his ability to collect offensive rebounds for putbacks and overwhelm undersized opponents in the post. That game won’t translate to the NBA, which requires big men to dominate on the level of Dwight Howard or possess a repertoire of offensive moves. Varnado is a risk in the first round but could be valuable to a team that wants to use a second-round pick to improve its interior defense.

Brian Zoubek, Duke

With Kyle Singler returning to Durham, Zoubek becomes the most likely Blue Devil to get drafted this year. That’s not something anyone expected eight months ago. However, the 7-footer turned out to be a late bloomer. After struggling with foul trouble for three and a half seasons, the light went on for Zoubek midway through the season, and he helped propel the Blue Devils to their fourth championship under coach Mike Krzyzewski. He averaged only about six points and eight rebounds per game – but that’s in less than 19 minutes per game. Take a look at his per-40-minute stats: 12 points and 16 rebounds per game. Those numbers and his recent development could land Zoubek an NBA spot in the second round. His lack of athleticism will likely keep him out of the first round.

Tweeners

Trevor Booker, Clemson

Booker falls into the dreaded category of tweeners. He is probably too small to be an NBA power forward, and he’s not a good enough shooter to be a small forward. However, some NBA team could be as happy with Booker as the San Antonio Spurs were this past season with Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair. Booker is a warrior and a winner. He’s tough as nails and hustles on every play. And his stat line backs that up: 15 points and eight rebounds per game with a little more than one block and one steal per game, too.

Point Guards

Sherron Collins, Kansas

Collins led the Jayhawks through one of their most successful four-year runs in team history. That’s quite a feat for any Jayhawk to crow about. However, his game might not make as much noise in the NBA. At 6-foot, Collins is rather short for an NBA guard. And he doesn’t shoot exceptionally well at 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Collins figures to be a second-round pick who could back up an established point guard.

Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Vasquez is a curious case. He has the fire to lead teams and talent to take over games. He single-handedly beat North Carolina in 2009, when the Tar Heels won the championship. However, he’s also prone to committing lots of turnovers and can be a streaky shooter. His upside is higher than most projected second-round picks, especially among guards, but his risk factor is also fairly high. He’d be a great fit on a team with a strong locker room and talented lineup, especially a veteran point guard. That would allow Vasquez to be a sparkplug off the bench and learn the ropes, in hopes that he could eventually take over the starting point guard spot.

Sixers, Nets Poised to Surprise People in Draft

In recent days, we’ve shined the spotlight on the Washington Wizards and their likely top pick, Kentucky’s John Wall. Will Wall be good for Washington? Equally important, will Washington be good for Wall?

The next two teams picking at the top of the draft should deliver plenty of story lines, too. The Philadelphia 76ers were the other big winner in the NBA Draft lottery, moving up to the No. 2 spot. New Jersey, which was the favorite to land the No. 1 pick, slid to No. 3.

The 76ers have a chance to solve a fundamental flaw in their team composition. The team’s top player, swingman Andre Iguodala, and several young guards, including Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, are best suited for an up tempo game. However, the team’s best big man is Elton Brand, who has been beset by injuries and surgeries that have rendered one of the most dominant post players to a plodding half-court player.

The 76ers intend to do everything they can to ditch Brand this off-season, which might be difficult to do because of his injury history and massive contract. But regardless of whether he’s on the team, the 76ers are in prime position to upgrade their athleticism at power forward. Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors or Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins would be great picks. Favors might have more upside than Cousins, who is the more polished player at this point. However, Favors didn’t have as tumultuous a season as Cousins, who frequently came across as a prima donna.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Nets desperately wanted to land Wall to help market the team to this summer’s top free agents. Of course, free agents can’t start signing with new teams until July, so the Nets will enter the draft June 24 uncertain of what their team will look like in a matter of weeks. That makes projecting the team’s pick more difficult.

However, we do know that new owner Mikhail Prokhorov is extraordinarily rich and extraordinarily determined to win — and fast. He said he wanted to bring a championship to New Jersey/Brooklyn within two or three years. Those are lofty expectations for the worst team in the NBA.

Despite their awful record, the Nets have a decent foundation with Devin Harris at point guard, Brook Lopez at center and a cadre of wing players: Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams. Prokhorov’s draft strategy might reveal which free agents he believes he can land. Everyone knows LeBron James is his top target. In addition, the Nets need a power forward. If Prokhorov plans to sign Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh or Amar’e Stoudemire, drafting a player like Favors or Cousins wouldn’t make sense. However, if one of those elite big men won’t be wearing a Nets jersey next season, Prokhorov likely would go with Favors or Cousins.

But if Prokhorov intends to open his checkbook wide enough to draw in one of those top big men, he could use the No. 3 pick on a shooter. Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson comes to mind. Johnson had a sensational year for the Orange, and he is a popular fellow in the greater New York City region. He also has a special talent for shooting the long ball, something the Nets desperately need. If Prokhorov can land Boozer, Bosh or Stoudemire to beef up the post and get James or Dwyane Wade, the Nets would be making an excellent selection by choosing possibly the most talented shooter in the draft.

After Washington makes its pick, the draft promises to become wide open. Expect the unexpected, possibly as soon as Philadelphia makes the No. 2 pick.

Will Washington Be Good for Wall?

Barring any shocking developments between now and June 24, the Washington Wizards will be drafting Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick. Should Wall be scared?

None of Washington’s recent draft picks has emerged as a superstar. And if Wall thought Tennessee or Florida created a hostile environment, wait until he arrives in the city that spews criticism for a living.

Since 2000, the Wizards have made eight first-round picks. Only two are still with the team — Nick Young and JaVale McGee — and neither averages more than 20 minutes or nine points per game. The last time Washington picked in the top 10, the Wizards promptly traded Devin Harris to Dallas in a package for Antawn Jamison. And Washington’s last No. 1 pick was an unmitigated disaster. The Wizards took Kwame Brown straight out of high school in 2001. He never lived up to his hype, averaging only 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his best season with the Wizards. By Brown’s fourth season, he was a locker room pariah and quickly became expendable. Washington booted him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Caron Butler and others.

The Kwame Brown experience has left Wizards fans cynical about overhyped, so-called franchise saviors. When Wall arrives, he will need to earn their respect and adoration — something he won’t be accustomed to doing after receiving nothing but praise and adulation during the past three or four years. Washington is a tough town, filled with people waiting to share a negative opinion. It’s the home of ESPN’s “PTI” program, which features Michael Wilbon, one of the most respected NBA analysts. Co-host Tony Kornhesier is no slouch either, and he’ll have a firsthand look at Wall’s development.

In addition, the Washington media will naturally compare Wall to his counterparts in other sports. Washington Nationals fans are worked up into a frenzy with the first start of star rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg scheduled for tonight. The Washington Capitals have one of the best players in the NHL in Alex Ovechkin. And the Washington Redskins will always be the No. 1 game in town.

Wall will enter a challenging sports environment in which he must excel — as in, at least 20 points, nine assists and a steal or two per game — to even crack the top spot on Washington sports pages. Yes, his early season performances will be big news. But the luster will fade fast, especially because the congressional midterm elections will coincide with the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.

And the most closely watched contests in Washington involve men and women in suits whose home court is several blocks southeast of the Verizon Center.

Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson Look to Defy Recent Trends

By draft night, 30 NBA teams will have spent countless hours reviewing game tape, scouting workouts, collecting measurements and conducting interviews of every player they will consider taking in the draft.

Although draft night is still two and a half weeks away, every team is busy crunching the numbers on players from John Wall and Evan Turner to Jon Scheyer and Scottie Reynolds. They want a player who can contribute next season — or sometime in the near future. In many cases, that requires filling a specific need. But in others, teams go with the most talented player available.

Obviously, draft results largely depend on the available talent and team needs. However, several trends have emerged during the past few years. And one trend might not bode well for someone like Turner.

Point forwards can dominate the college game. They have the ball handling skills to cut to the hoop, shooting touch to extend defenses beyond their comfort zone, and size to post up smaller guards. However, their skills don’t always translate to the NBA.

In 2008, Italian forward Danilo Gallinari went to New York at No. 6, and Milwaukee picked West Virginia’s Joe Alexander two picks later. Those top 10 picks didn’t exactly inspire much excitement for undersized forwards who like to shoot. Gallinari averaged 6.1 points in 28 games for the Knicks during his rookie season, and Alexander struggled to put up 4.7 points in 59 games. Gallinari improved significantly in his sophomore campaign, but the Bucks gave up on Alexander, shipping him to Chicago for John Salmons.

In 2009, no one took a shot at a point forward until New Jersey took Louisville’s Terrence Williams with the No. 11 pick. Shortly after Williams came off the board, Gerald Henderson and Austin Daye followed. Of the three, Williams fared the best, averaging 8.4 points per game in his rookie season. He appears to be a decent part of the Nets’ rebuilding plans. The other two didn’t impress their teams, the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons, respectively. Neither averaged much more than five points per game. What’s worse is Henderson’s shooting: 35.6 percent from the field and 21.1 percent from three-point range. For a 215-pound point forward, that’s unacceptable. And it will scare teams away from guys who haven’t proven that they can be great shooters or legitimate post players.

That spells trouble for Turner. Ohio State’s junior superstar averaged 20.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this past season en route to Player of the Year honors. However, Turner shot a decent-but-not-spectacular 36.4 percent from three-point range. And at 6-7 and 215 pounds, Turner might find scoring much tougher in the NBA.

Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson is another player looking to prove he can make it in the league as a small forward. In his one season with the Orange, Johnson dominated opponents for 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Unlike Turner, though, Johnson shot 41.5 percent from three-point range, proving that he has the goods to consistently deliver from long range.

Turner and Johnson seem to be safe top 10 picks, though perhaps not as high in the top 10 as expected. However, Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu might be in trouble. He seems to more closely resemble Daye or Alexander than Turner or Johnson. Aminu is 6-9, 215 pounds and a 44.7 percent shooter. It’s even uglier from three-point range, where Aminu shoots 27.3 percent. Aminu is a hard worker, and he averaged 10.7 rebounds per game for the Demon Deacons. But he’s a risky pick, who could follow in the footsteps of other college point forwards who don’t dominate the post but aren’t good enough shooters to play the 3 spot in the NBA.

If the trends of the past couple of years continue, we might see some surprising results at the top of the draft and some long waits for players projected to hear their names called toward the end of the lottery. In a couple of weeks, we’ll find out how much emphasis NBA executives place on recent history.

No. 1 Spot Doesn’t Guarantee Success

If the Washington Wizards stick with conventional logic, they will be picking Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick June 24.

By most accounts, Wall is the undisputed top pick in the NBA Draft. However, the last time Washington owned the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Wizards ended up with current journeyman and all-around disappointment Kwame Brown. The man that Michael Jordan picked to be the future franchise player of the Wizards just finished this past season with the Detroit Pistons and averaged 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Ouch.

Brown’s career numbers are not much better: 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Those are the worst averages for any No. 1 pick who has actually played an NBA game. And recent draft history could give Wizards fans more nerves.

Last year’s top pick, Blake Griffin, has not played a minute in the regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers after a stress fracture worsened and forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. Griffin isn’t the only recent top pick to miss significant time.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ Greg Oden also missed all of his rookie season. Microfracture surgery on his right knee sidelined the Blazers’ top pick from 2007. In the three years since the Blazers drafted Oden, their No. 1 big man has played exactly 82 games, averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

That news could frighten Wizards fans, who are accustomed to bad luck. However, Wall has no injury history. He’s not a massive guy whose knees take a pounding. He’s not an unproven high school head case.

For Washington fans, Wall’s most likely comparison could be the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose. Like Rose, Wall comes to the NBA after playing for coach John Calipari for one season. Both are uber-talented point guards who have already proven that they can lead their team to victory, often scoring in bunches when their teams need them. If the Wizards land a Rose clone, they will be thrilled — and set to rebuild a franchise looking to relaunch its identity.

Kentucky: Calipari Masters the Art of Managing One-and-Done Players

NBA point guards Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans’ success stories have only served as encouragement for a decision that didn’t need much thought for Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins after their first college season came to an end: Bye-bye Wildcats, hello NBA lottery.

Rose and Evans, starters for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings, respectively, have transitioned fantastically into the pros after spending only one season in school under coach John Calipari at Memphis. Calipari, now with Kentucky, is some kind of first-year player virtuoso. Wall, a point guard, figures to go No. 1 overall, and Cousins, a forward, is expected to be off the board not long after.

And what about the two other Kentucky freshmen and a junior who also declared themselves ready for the NBA? First-round picks, too.

Junior forward Patrick Patterson is the only player who’s left the door open for a return to the Wildcats next season, saying he’s “half in, half out,” while guard Eric Bledsoe and center Daniel Orton look confident in going for the leap. They can all opt to change their minds by May 8 as long as they don’t hire agents, but that seems unlikely. Calipari, while happy for his pupils, will have to work some more recruiting magic to make Kentucky (35-3 in 2009-10) a powerhouse again next season.

Wall was a favorite to go pro even before the season began, and he backed up the hype. His mind-blowing play that generated 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game led the Wildcats to regular-season and conference tournament championships before they fell to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. He set a single-season school record with 241 assists. Many of those went to Cousins.

Cousins was at his best when not in foul trouble, something he struggled with mightily — along with a temper problem — early in the season. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and book-ended Kentucky’s monster guard/forward duo.

But if it wasn’t Wall or Cousins dominating the game, it was Bledsoe or Orton, the two other excellent freshmen who lived in their teammates’ shadows — hence the mild surprise when they announced the move to the NBA. The speedy Bledsoe averaged 11.9 points per game and was one of the Wildcats’ best three-point threats. Meanwhile, Orton kept Kentucky’s paint safe when Cousins was in foul trouble. He was a shot-blocking machine.

Patterson averaged a career-low 14.3 points per game, which might be one of the reasons he’d like to come back next year, along with the possibility of an NBA lockout. However, he backed out of the NBA Draft last season when many thought he was ready, which only tilts the balance in favor of him leaving this time around.

Patterson’s dipping numbers, down from 17.9 points per game last season, are a reflection of the kind of talent Calipari brought along after signing with Kentucky. A star alongside guard Jodie Meeks last season, Patterson was only the third-leading scorer this season. It’s a misleading statistic because — as with Bledsoe and Orton — if he had been the program’s featured player, he would have been a standout. There would be no “half in, half out” decision to make; it’d be an all-in while holding a full house.

Luckily for Patterson, Bledsoe and Orton, NBA scouts will see beyond their numbers, which should be a huge sigh of relief for Orton and his modest 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. They’re as good as gone. Calipari will be left with only five returning players from this season’s team.

But if anyone can rebuild a team, it’s Calipari, someone who transformed a team not good enough to make the NCAA Tournament one year into one of the Big Dance’s No. 1 seeds the next. The coach, who was a Mario Chalmers’ desperation three-pointer away from winning a national championship with Memphis in 2008, lost Rose to the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 2008 only to replace him with Evans in 2009, keeping the Tigers among the elite teams. He then left to Kentucky, where he turned an NIT team into a championship contender.

Calipari’s 2010 recruiting class, as usual, is among one of the top in the nation. Six-foot-10 Turkish center Enes Kanter has verbally committed, as has 6-5 slashing shooting guard Stacey Poole. Kentucky still doesn’t have an answer from point guard Brandon Knight, a crème-of-the-crop recruit, but the Wildcats, along with Kansas and Connecticut, are in the mix for his services.

Having Calipari at the helm certainly won’t hurt the Wildcats in their hunt to replace their departing young guns with other fresh-blooded talent. Kentucky will be back as one of the top teams next season. But before that — and a la North Carolina in 2005 — several Wildcats will hear their name called aloud on June 24, date of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Happy endings for everybody.