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Kentucky makes history at the NBA Draft on two fronts

NBA prospect Davis from the University of Kentucky shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Stern after being selected by the Hornets as the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, in Newark

NBA prospect Anthony Davis from the University of Kentucky shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern after being selected by the New Orleans Hornets as the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, in Newark, New Jersey June 28, 2012. Forward-center Davis led Kentucky to the U.S. college basketball championship this year and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

It didn’t take long for Kentucky to make NBA Draft history on Thursday night.

And by the end of the draft John Calipari’s program had done two things no other school has ever done.

For the first time in the history of the draft the top two picks hail from the same school, with Anthony Davis going to New Orleans as expected and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist being picked by Charlotte.

And with Florida guard Bradley Beal going to Washington with the third pick the SEC can claim the top three picks in the draft, another occurrence that had never happened before tonight.

This is the second time in John Calipari’s three seasons in Lexington in which Kentucky can claim two Top 5 picks in the draft.

John Wall (1st) and DeMarcus Cousins (5th) were both Top 5 selections in 2010.

Kentucky didn’t end up with five first-round selections as some thought to be possible, but they did get four as Terrence Jones (18th, Houston) and Marquis Teague (29th, Chicago) were called.

Guards Doron Lamb (42nd, Milwaukee) and Darius Miller (46th, New Orleans) went in the second round, pushing the Wildcats’ total up to six.

That is a record for the common draft era (since 1966, when territorial selections were eliminated), but there are more impressive numbers that Kentucky can claim.

In three seasons in Lexington, John Calipari has seen 11 first-rounders and 15 draftees represent the Wildcats.

In the fifteen seasons prior to his arrival according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky had ten first-rounders and 15 draftees total.

When the ultimate goal of so many elite players is to reach the NBA, those are some impressive numbers to bring up while on the recruiting trail.

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.