The NBA Draft takes place next week in Brooklyn and features seven former Wildcats. Today John Calipari broke down the draft class and gave his best recruiting sales-pitch, highlighting Kentucky’s emphasis on playing “positionless basketball.” Cal also ran through a laundry list of developmental attributes for each player and talked about how they sacrificed for the good of the team.
Calipari says the approach they have taken for some time now is playing “positionless basketball.” He doesn’t want to pigeon-hole and wants to teach players to be multi-positional. He said the goal is not just to get players in the league, but to produce all-stars. He noted this year’s class of Draft Cats has the potential to accomplish some firsts, including four lottery pics and seven total going in the draft.
On Willie-Cauley Stein:
-Hasn’t been groomed from the beginning and really didn’t start playing basketball until he came to Kentucky.
-Is not a “gym rat” like Derek Rose, Brandon Knight and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but is coming into his own. Said criticism has been over-blown and added Anthony Davis wasn’t a gym rat either and turned out ok.
-First visited WCS in high school. Watched him play in two football games, a wiffle ball game and even kickball. “He was pretty good, btw.”
-NBA teams will be able to mold him offensively.
On Karl-Anthony Towns:
-Developed into a player and was a great teammate.
-Cal says Towns has more ball skills than he let him show.
Cal says we'll look back on Karl-Anthony Towns some day and say, "Who was the only one to hold him under 20 points? Calipari."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) June 18, 2015
-Timberwolves have the number one pick. Cal on what Towns thinks of Minnesota: “I’ll go to Minnesota. I love it. Let’s build something”
(snowman?)
Cal on Towns: "I've had good ones, but he's right there." Says whatever team takes Towns won't be trading him.
— Alex Forkner (@AForknerRivals) June 18, 2015
On Aaron Harrison:
-“I’m not worried. I think he’ll be drafted. I’ll go even further: I think he’ll be in the league for a while.”
-Credits ability to play multiple positions and make clutch game-winning shots.
Cal says he hasn't talked to many guys about who they're taking mid-second round, bc most are working on who they want in the first round.
— CoachCal.com (@CoachCalDotCom) June 18, 2015
On Andrew Harrison:
Cal says Andrew Harrison will "bounce into that late 1st" round.
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 18, 2015
.@UKCoachCalipari said he's taking calls from NBA people trying to figure out where criticism of An. Harrison came from. They all like him.
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 18, 2015
On Trey Lyles:
-“If a fight breaks out, he’s not moving… that stuff is in him. If he gets in a competitive environment, that comes out.”
Cal brings up Lyles' competitiveness. He's got a fight in him now. "I'm not worried about how he'll perform."
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 18, 2015
Cal said Knicks' Phil Jackson watched practice, walked away saying of Lyles: "This is the kind of player for the triangle."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) June 18, 2015
On Dakari Johnson:
-Cal says late first-round pick and that teams have been surprised by his size.
-Dakari refocused after lackluster combine showing, working out in California to improve. Says he has “lost eighteen pounds, his lift is back. He is fine.”
-Said it was a great lesson for Dakari and others because sometimes you take a little time off and you don’t realize you are slipping.
Cal on Dakari's NBA Combine: "Good thing to learn in this process (rather than) go to training camp … and never recover. He's fine."
— Jerry Tipton (@JerryTipton) June 18, 2015
On Devin Booker:
Coach Cal: Compares Devin Booker to Klay Thompson…"Klay Thompson-ish"
— Andrew Porter (@And_Porter) June 18, 2015
Cal says he demanded of Devin Booker not to be just a stand-still shooter. Made him drive and create and forced him to defend.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) June 18, 2015
