Skip to content

Kentucky and North Carolina could make NBA draft history Thursday night

Jun 28, 2012, 9:22 AM EDT

North Carolina v Duke Getty Images

Kentucky and North Carolina are poised to make history at Thursday night’s NBA draft.

Both teams will likely see four players selected in the first round, marking the first time since the NBA debuted its two-round format in 1989 that two teams have accounted for eight of the total picks in the first round.

The night should begin with Kentucky blue, as Anthony Davis is projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the New Orleans Hornets. Teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist should follow shortly thereafter to Charlotte at No. 2 or Washington at No. 3.

Sophomore forward Terrence Jones should be selected somewhere at the end of the lottery or in the middle of the first round. Guard Marquis Teague will likely be selected toward the later end of the first round.

Kentucky is sending six players total, with Doron Lamb and Darius Miller included, but not all are projected to go in the first round.

“My hope is all six, but I don’t know,” Calipari told SI.com earlier this month. “I would be surprised if four are not. I would say four are locks and the other two have to go work out.”

For North Carolina, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, and Kendall Marshall are all likely going in the first round.

Barnes will lead the pack, with Henson, Zeller and Marshall following.

The only time in recent memory that two teams came close to supplying four players each in the first round was in 2007, when Florida and Ohio State both had three players chosen.

Included in that draft were Joakim Noah, Greg Oden, and Al Horford.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_

Latest Posts
  1. Auburn announces addition of JUCO guard Malcolm Canada

    Jun 19, 2013, 10:45 PM EDT

    Tony Barbee AP

    With Rutgers guard Jerome Seagears having a change of heart and deciding to return to New Brunswick after initially announcing his decision to transfer to Auburn, head coach Tony Barbee found himself in need of a guard. On Wednesday the school announced that 6-3 guard Malcolm Canada, who played at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa…

  2. Andrew Wiggins takes flight during scrimmage at Kansas basketball camp (VIDEO)

    Jun 19, 2013, 9:35 PM EDT

    Kansas Basketball Kansas Basketball

    Much has been made about the reaction to Kansas freshman wing Andrew Wiggins’ first workouts for his new coaching staff, with an unnamed source stating to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com that watching Wiggins was “like watching a video game.” On Wednesday some lucky campers at the Kansas Basketball Camp got to watch Wiggins play some…

  3. 2015 forward Tim Delaney verbally commits to Villanova

    Jun 19, 2013, 8:06 PM EDT

    jay-wright

    Villanova landed its first verbal commitment in the 2015 class, as 6-9 forward Tim Delaney committed to the school according to multiple outlets. Delaney, who attends Pitman (N.J.) High School, held offers from schools such as Oregon State, Penn State and Rutgers and also visited both Indiana and Butler according to Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com.…

  4. 6-11 big man Billy Magarity commits to Boston College

    Jun 19, 2013, 6:40 PM EDT

    Steve Donahue AP

    With talented players such as forward Ryan Anderson and guard Olivier Hanlan returning, there’s a feeling among many that Boston College can be one of the ACC’s most improved teams in 2013-14. A group that has taken its share of lumps in Steve Donahue’s first two seasons on the Heights, the Eagles took both eventual…

  5. John Calipari named honorary pace car driver for June 29 race at Kentucky Speedway

    Jun 19, 2013, 5:20 PM EDT

    Kentucky Speedway Kentucky Speedway

    Kentucky Speedway announced on Wednesday that Kentucky head coach John Calipari has been named the honorary pace car driver for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400, which takes place on June 29. In the release, Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger proclaimed the opening lap to be “one of the quickest fast breaks in…

  6. West Coast Conference announces changes to tournament format

    Jun 19, 2013, 3:56 PM EDT

    Portland v Gonzaga Getty Images

    With the addition of Pacific, the West Coast Conference will have ten members beginning with the 2013-14 campaign. The arrival of the Tigers not only helps from a scheduling standpoint, but it also necessitated a change in the format the WCC uses for its conference tournament. The WCC announced the changes on Wednesday, with seeds…

  7. Tyus Jones on college with Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow: ‘We all like the idea’

    Jun 19, 2013, 3:35 PM EDT

    Minnesota Boys All State Basketball

    It’s no secret that Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor want to play their college ball together. They’ve been talking about it for a while, and given the fact that they are both ranked in the top three for Rivals Class of 2014 — Okafor is currently No. 1 while Jones is No. 3 — I’m…

  8. Report: Devonta Pollard no longer enrolled at Alabama

    Jun 19, 2013, 2:49 PM EDT

    NIT Northeastern Alabama AP

    Earlier this month, Alabama forward Devonta Pollard was arrested and charged in conjunction with the kidnapping of a six-year old girl over a family land dispute. Given that he was facing a serious felony charge, one could only imagine that Pollard would only be a member of the Crimson Tide for so long, and on…

  9. Don’t take Michigan’s point guard spot from Spike Albrecht just yet

    Jun 19, 2013, 2:30 PM EDT

    Michigan Wolverines' Albrecht reacts after a three point basket against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half of their NCAA men's Final Four championship basketball game in Atlanta Reuters

    Spike Albrecht spent the majority of the college basketball season as the answer to a trivia question: Who is the little white kid that backs up Trey Burke, the best player in the country? The way the 2012-2013 campaign ended, however, was much, much different. If you’ve forgotten, the kid who was signed late by…

  10. Northwestern completes their coaching staff by adding Armon Gates

    Jun 19, 2013, 1:06 PM EDT

    6864683

    Northwestern head coach Chris Collins has filled out his coaching staff, as he added Armon Gates as his third assistant coach on Tuesday. Gates is a Chicago native that spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola (IL).  “We’re very excited to add Armon to our staff,” Collins said in a statement…

  11. Report: Darius Cobb, Ben McLemore’s AAU coach, to speak to the NCAA today

    Jun 19, 2013, 12:25 PM EDT

    Western Kentucky v Kansas Getty Images

    Darius Cobb, Ben McLemore’s former AAU coach, will be meeting with the NCAA’s Enforcement staff today to discuss the involvement that Rodney Blackstock had with the former Kansas all-american and those close to him, according to a report from Eric Prisbell of USA Today. That could end up being a thorn in the side of…

  12. Communication plays vital role in development of Marquette’s Vander Blue

    Jun 19, 2013, 11:30 AM EDT

    Butler v Marquette Getty Images

    A recent growing buzzword in college basketball is the importance of the “culture” of a program. Culture within a college basketball program dictates how things work and it’s use as a word and as a concept is meant to influence players — and in some cases fans — into believing that certain activities or teachings…

  13. Report: Gonzaga kicks off their 2014 recruiting class with top 150 guard Silas Melson

    Jun 19, 2013, 10:52 AM EDT

    Mark Few

    Mark Few picked up his first commitment in the Class of 2014 as Portland native and Rivals top 150 shooting guard Silas Melson pledged to the Zags on Tuesday night, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman. Here’s how ESPN breaks down his game: He has a smooth shooting stroke out to 20-feet and…

  14. Report: Gary Harris finishes rehab, is working out again

    Jun 19, 2013, 10:17 AM EDT

    Gary Harris

    Michigan State needed Adreian Payne to return to school if they were going to make a run at a national title. With Derrick Nix graduating and with their only incoming front court player being Gavin Schilling — who isn’t exactly the second coming of Greg Oden — Tom Izzo’s team was going to have a…

  15. Jarnell Stokes posts a Vine of a Marcus Smart 360 dunk

    Jun 18, 2013, 11:25 PM EDT

    Marcus Smart, Angel Rodriguez, Nino Williams, Le'Bryan Nash AP

    If you aren’t familiar with Vine, it’s an app that allows users to record up to six seconds worth of video. That was plenty of time for Tennessee rising junior forward Jarnell Stokes to film Oklahoma State star sophomore guard Marcus Smart taking a sideline bounce pass and throwing down a 360 slam while the…

  16. Gorgui Dieng says Louisville will be better next season

    Jun 18, 2013, 10:12 PM EDT

    Gorgui Dieng

    Gorgui Dieng is gearing up for next Thursday for the 2013 NBA Draft. On Tuesday, following a workout with the New York Knicks, the former Louisville center had time to talk about his old team. “I think they’re going to have a better team this year,” Dieng told Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com and SNY.tv on…

  17. Report: Oregon lands ex-Iowa State commit Richard Amardi

    Jun 18, 2013, 8:42 PM EDT

    Dana Altman AP

    A week after being cut loose by Iowa State, Indian Hills Community College forward Richard Amardi made a commitment to the Oregon Ducks. He has one year of eligibility left. Jeff Goodman first reported the news via Twitter on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-9 Amardi was on the wrong-end of a scholarship issue. He had originally committed…

  18. Penn State grants forward Jon Graham release, will transfer

    Jun 18, 2013, 7:52 PM EDT

    Jon Graham AP

    After three years with the Penn State program, rising junior forward Jon Graham was granted a release and will be allowed to transfer for his final two seasons of eligibility, the school announced on Tuesday afternoon. “Jon and I have had several meetings to discuss his future and he has decided to seek opportunities to…

  19. Georgetown forward Greg Whittington has a torn ACL

    Jun 18, 2013, 6:42 PM EDT

    Greg Whittington AP

    The return of Greg Whittington was going to be a crucial for the Georgetown Hoyas, entering next season without Big East Player of the Year Otto Porter. However, on Tuesday it was confirmed that Whittington has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. “Greg will return when he is 100 percent healthy,”Georgetown head coach John…

  20. Top 2016 recruit Harry Giles tears ACL, MCL and meniscus

    Jun 18, 2013, 5:46 PM EDT

    Harry Giles

    Harry Giles (Wesleyan Christian Academy/Winston-Salem, N.C.) was one of 12 players selected to the USA Basketball Under-16 team, playing in the FIBA World Championship in Uruguay. The 6-foot-9 2016 recruit injured his left knee on Wednesday in a win over Argentina. On Tuesday, Giles told Jason Jordan of USA Today that he torn his ACL and MCL.…