The Kentucky Wildcats have been a hotbed for NBA talent over the last decade. Players like Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are just a few of the names that have traveled through Kentucky and found their way into the NBA All-Star Game.
This upcoming NBA Draft should be no different as several former Wildcats are primed to hear their name called, and Kentucky is expected to have at least two lottery picks as well.
While the program did have three 5-star prospects in the class of 2023, it is Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, both of which were 4-star recruits, set to go in the top 10. Justin Edwards and Antonio Reeves are the two others that could hear their name called.
That said, ESPN recently reordered their top-100 prospects, of which five former Cats were included. For Sheppard and Dillingham, there was little change.
Sheppard is the 4th-best prospect with Dillingham the 7th-best. Edwards came in at No. 31, with Reeves at No. 60. Tre Mitchell was also listed at No. 83. This year’s draft is only 58 picks after two selections were forfeited for tampering violations.
“The fact he can play on and off the ball — and makes the most of his limitations defensively — also helps envision a valuable floor. If Sheppard falls out of the top five, which might hinge to an extent on potential teams trading picks — he’d be a strong fit with the Hornets at No. 6 as a complement to their young core,” ESPN Jeremy Woo said of Sheppard in the breakdown.
“Dillingham is nearing a mid-month return from the ankle injury that has disrupted his pre-draft process, sources say, likely leaving him time for only a handful of workouts before June 26. While somewhat polarizing among teams because of his size, Dillingham is one of the rare prospects in this class who could potentially anchor a team’s offense with his dynamic shot creation and shot-making prowess, giving him rare star power in a class sorely lacking in that department,” he wrote.
That said, with last year’s roster gutted when John Calipari headed to Arkansas and most of the 5-star recruits heading elsewhere, the Cats will have a tall task to build upon last season under new head coach Mark Pope.
However, with a slew of transfer portal players that should make an instant impact, the sky is the limit for this upcoming roster.
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