The Indiana Pacers selected Stephenson with the 10th pick in the second round -- 40th overall.

NEW YORK — Cincinnati guard and 2010 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Lance Stephenson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lincoln) was taken in the second round of the 2010 National Basketball Association Draft Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New [...]]]> Associated Press

The Indiana Pacers selected Stephenson with the 10th pick in the second round -- 40th overall.

NEW YORK — Cincinnati guard and 2010 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Lance Stephenson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lincoln) was taken in the second round of the 2010 National Basketball Association Draft Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Indiana Pacers selected Stephenson with the 10th pick in the second round — 40th overall. He is the first Bearcat to be taken in the NBA Draft since James White was taken by Portland in the second round in 2006. Since 1950, 56 Cincinnati basketball players have been drafted by NBA teams, including 10 first-round selections.

“I know that playing in the NBA has been a lifelong goal for Lance and our entire program is excited for him and his family,” said fifth-year UC head coach Mick Cronin. “I thank Lance for his efforts at Cincinnati and want him to know how much we appreciate his loyalty to us. I personally look forward to watching Lance grow and develop as a professional and as a man.”

Stephenson was the sixth BIG EAST Conference player taken in the 2010 NBA Draft. He joins veterans Jason Maxiell (Detroit) and Kenyon Martin (Denver) as former Bearcats active in the NBA.

In March, Stephenson was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, becoming the first UC men’s basketball player to earn the distinction since the Bearcats joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2005-06. He joined DerMarr Johnson (1999-00 – Conference USA), Danny Fortson (1994-95 – Great Midwest Conference), and Dontonio Wingfield (1993-94 – Great Midwest Conference) as the only players in program history to earn freshman/rookie/newcomer of the year honors.

Stephenson led all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring in overall games (12.3 ppg) and conference-only games (12.1 ppg). He also finished in the Top 5 overall among league freshmen in rebounds (5.4 rpg/4th), steals (1.0 spg/5th), and assists (2.4 apg/4th).

Four times this season, the 6-foot-5 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, the most by any incoming player. Stephenson won the weekly award the last two weeks of the regular season after averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over UC’s last four contests. He also added 11 assists and five steals during the stretch.

Stephenson committed to the Bearcats last summer after a highly-decorated prep career at Lincoln High School, where he averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists to earn Class AA New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA) Player of the Year honors his senior year. He graduated high school as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state of New York with 2,946 points, passing fellow Lincoln High grad Sebastian Telfair, who was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Kentucky dominated the first round of Thursday night’s NBA draft and passed some other powerful college programs with the five players selected.

John Wall, the overall No. 1 pick by the Washington Wizards, DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick by Sacramento, Patrick Patterson, the 14th selection by Houston, Eric Bledsoe, [...]]]> Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Kentucky dominated the first round of Thursday night’s NBA draft and passed some other powerful college programs with the five players selected.

John Wall, the overall No. 1 pick by the Washington Wizards, DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick by Sacramento, Patrick Patterson, the 14th selection by Houston, Eric Bledsoe, the 18th pick by Oklahoma City, and Daniel Orton, the 29th selection by Orlando, all left Kentucky with eligibility remaining and were all taken in the first round of the draft.

Three schools had four players taken in the first round. Duke had overall No. 1 pick Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette and William Avery taken in 1999. North Carolina had Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants selected in 2005. The next year Connecticut had Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone all go in the first round.

“As far as all of us being in the draft, it’s just a great accomplishment for all of us, individually, and especially for the University of Kentucky, Coach (John) Calipari and the coaching staff,” Patterson said. “We made a new milestone, set history with five.”

Patterson, a junior, was the only non-freshman of the group. Wall and Cousins were both selected to The Associated Press’ All-America team. Orton wasn’t even a starter, averaging 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.

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REALLY BIG 12: The Big 12, which was almost broken apart by various conference movements last week, had a big day at the NBA draft, leading the way with seven players selected in the first round.

The Southeastern Conference was next with five – all from Kentucky – while the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East both had four. The only other conference to have more than one player taken in the first round was the Western Athletic with two.

Besides Kentucky’s record run of five first-rounders the only schools with more than one selection were Kansas and Texas, which both had two.

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FEWER INTERNATIONALS: Five seniors were selected in the first round, one less than last year’s draft. There were six freshmen taken in the top 30, two more than last year and four less than the record set in 2008.

The one big difference in the first round from last year was that only one international player – Kevin Seraphin of France – was taken, five less than last year.

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MOM FIRST: The first person the first pick went to was his mother.

John Wall turned and hugged his mother when Commissioner David Stern announced that the Kentucky freshman had been selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards.

“I can’t even, words can’t even explain right now,” Wall said as he talked of his mother, Frances Pulley, who raised him in Raleigh, N.C. “Growing up I lived in a tough neighborhood, getting in trouble in school, especially when my dad passed. So my mom taking me to school and picked up in the afternoon, that was it. As a kid, 10, 11 years old, you want to see your family spend time and (we) didn’t really have it. She was the first lady, she says, if you don’t change your attitude, you’ll never be doing so for her, to be in some situation, means a lot to me and I love her to death.”

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FAMILY WAY: When Ed Davis was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 13th pick of the first round, it meant the draft’s father-son legacy would last another year.

This is the eighth straight year that the son of a former NBA player was taken in the draft.

Davis, who left North Carolina after his junior year, is the son of Terry Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NBA with Miami, Dallas, Denver and Washington.

Andy Rautins of Syracuse, the son of former NBA player Leo Rautins, was taken by the New York Knicks in the second round.

The rest of the streak is: Mike Dunleavy in 2002, Luke Walton in 2003, Jackson Vroman in 2004, Sean May in 2005, Ronnie Brewer in 2006, Al Horford in 2007, Patrick Ewing Jr. in 2008, Stephen Curry, Gerald Henderson and Austin Daye in 2009.

There was almost another father-son combination to add to this year’s list. Quincy Pondexter of Washington was taken 26th by the Oklahoma City Thunder. His father, Roscoe, was a third-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 1974 but he never played in the NBA, opting for a professional career in Europe.

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TOP FIVES: John Wall, the No. 1 pick, and DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick, are the fifth set of teammates taken in the top five since 2002.

The others were: Duke’s Jay Williams (2) and Mike Dunleavy (3) in 2002; Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor (2) and Ben Gordon (3) in 2004; North Carolina’s Marvin Williams (2) and Raymond Felton (5) in 2005; and UCLA’s Russell Westbrook (4) and Kevin Love (5) in 2008.

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COMING BACK: A total of 103 players applied for early entry to the draft this season and 55 kept their names in the mix after the last date to withdraw. The original list included 80 college players and 23 international players.

Of those that stayed in the draft, 50 are from the college ranks and five are international players.

—

POINT GUARDS: When John Wall was taken first overall by the Washington Wizards he became the third guard taken with the No. 1 pick in 14 years.

Allen Iverson of Georgetown was taken first by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, and Derrick Rose of Memphis was the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2008.

Wall and Rose had something else in common: in their one year of college they were both coached by John Calipari. Rose led Memphis to the national championship game with Calipari on the bench and Wall led the Wildcats to the regional finals this season, Calipari’s first at Kentucky.

“Coach taught me a lot and I became a better leader vocally,” Wall said of Calipari. “I was always a leader by example being the first in the gym and the last in the gym and working hard, but I’m a leader that won’t mind speaking up to the older guys.”

—

FIRST NO. 1: In a fact that could win a lot of bar bets, John Wall was the first Kentucky player taken as the overall No. 1 draft pick.

The highest a Kentucky player was drafted had been in 1984 when the Portland Trail Blazers took Sam Bowie one pick after the Houston Rockets took Hakeem Olajuwon and one before the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan.

Since the 1966 draft seven schools have had two players taken with the No. 1 pick: Maryland (Joe Smith, John Lucas), North Carolina (Brad Daugherty, James Worthy), Michigan (Chris Webber, Cazzie Russell), Georgetown (Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing), Purdue (Glenn Robinson, Joe Barry Carroll), Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes), UCLA (Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

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NICE THREADS: The competition among the players on draft night is all about off the court, as in what they are wearing. This year’s version of Mr. Blackstone was Kansas freshman Xavier Henry, the 12th pick by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wesley Johnson of Syracuse, who was selected fourth by the Minnesota Timberwolves, had on an interesting pair of pants to say the least with a checkered pattern last seen on golf courses in the 1970s.

“I didn’t know if he had pajama pants or are they sleeping pants or sweat pants or something,” Henry said. “He pulled it off. He had a top to match it. He looked good tonight. Whoever did his shoot, he should tell them thank you.

“I liked John Wall’s suit, a nice shade of blue; (teammate) Cole’s (Aldrich) suit – we got them done by the same people so they are similar. I think everybody came out happy for a great occasion.”

—

OLD DAYS: For those who thought watching the NBA draft all through two rounds was a bit much think back to the old days when the draft went as long as 20 rounds in 1973. Teams were allowed to keep picking players as long as they wanted and the Buffalo Braves selected 20 players that year, one less than the number of wins they had the previous season.

In 1974, the league put a 10-round limit on the draft and it was trimmed to seven rounds in 1985. The draft went to three rounds in 1988 and to its current length in 1989.

By the way, that player who was the only one taken in the only 20th round ever conducted was Phil Tollestrop of BYU.

—

BUTLER DID IT: Gordon Hayward was the first Butler player selected in the NBA draft since Ralph O’Brien was taken by the Indianapolis Olympians in 1950. Billy Shepherd, the school’s all-time leading scorer, played in the ABA from 1972-75.

Hayward, whose halfcourt shot hit the rim at the end of the national championship game and left Duke with a 61-59 victory, was taken with the ninth pick by the Utah Jazz.

Hayward left the Bulldogs after two seasons.

“Toughest decision I ever had to make, and a lot of that was just because of the people at Butler, the fact we had everyone coming back,” said Hayward, who grew up 20 minutes from the Butler campus in Indianapolis. “They are phenomenal people and they do things the right way and it’s just a great program, a great program.”

—

NEW CLIPPER: Al-Farouq Aminu was property of the Los Angeles Clippers for less than 20 minutes when someone asked him a question about the NBA’s most futile franchise.

“I guess every team has a history either good or bad,” the Wake Forest sophomore said after being taken eighth by the Clippers, the team that sends a representative to the draft lottery almost every year. “When you’re drafted, you just try your best to change it for the good. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

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John Wall is ready to go to Washington and clean up the Wizards. And he'll have more backcourt help when he gets there -- whether or not Gilbert Arenas is still around.

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NEW YORK—John Wall is heading to Washington, and a record number of Kentucky teammates are following him to the NBA.

Wall [...]]]> Associated Press

John Wall is ready to go to Washington and clean up the Wizards. And he'll have more backcourt help when he gets there -- whether or not Gilbert Arenas is still around.

NEW YORK—John Wall is heading to Washington, and a record number of Kentucky teammates are following him to the NBA.

Wall went to the Wizards with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday and four more Wildcats were among the top 30 selections, making them the first school ever to put five players in the first round.

After falling short of the Final Four even with all that talent around him, Wall is ready to help Washington bounce back from a season that was embarrassing on the court and in the locker room.

“I feel like I had pressure since I became No. 1 in high school and was one of the top players,” Wall said. “I always got there hungry wanting to fight hard and compete in every game, so when I step on the court I’m going to take on any challenge there.”

The SEC player of the year is the first Kentucky player chosen first overall. He goes to a team still reeling from Gilbert Arenas season-ending suspension for bringing guns into the team locker room.

Wall could replace Arenas as the Wizards’ point guard, or perhaps play alongside him in a potential high-scoring backcourt. He’ll try to become the third straight freshman point guard to win Rookie of the Year honors after Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans—who like Wall also played for John Calipari.

The pick came shortly after a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that the Chicago Bulls had agreed to trade veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in the draft, Kevin Seraphin, to the Wizards. Hinrich is a solid veteran defensive guard who could help with Wall’s transition to the NBA.

After his name was announced to begin the draft, Wall hugged family members and donned a blue Wizards cap before climbing onto the stage to shake commissioner David Stern’s hand.

Predicted to finish in the top half of the Eastern Conference last season, the Wizards’ season quickly spiraled out of control, reaching its low point on New Year’s Day when news broke of the altercation involving guns between Arenas and fellow guard Javaris Crittenton, who also was suspended for the year. Washington eventually traded fellow stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler in a dismal 26-56 finish.

Arenas is eligible to return, but Wall is ready to take charge of the team.

“I was always a leader by example being the first in the gym and the last in the gym,” Wall said. “But I’m a leader that doesn’t mind speaking up to the older guys.”

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Kentucky Wildcats  guard John Wall has reached an endorsement agreement with Reebok worth $25 million over five years, according to Yahoo! Sports. Wall is  projected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft.

John Wall, the projected No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft, has [...]]]> By M.Bowman / Staff Contributor and Wire Reports

Kentucky Wildcats  guard John Wall has reached an endorsement agreement with Reebok worth $25 million over five years, according to Yahoo! Sports. Wall is  projected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft.

John Wall, the projected No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft, has reached an endorsement agreement with Reebok worth $25 million over five years.

Reebok believes that Wall can replace Allen Iverson as the brand’s superstar. Wall’s reps, Dan Fegan of Lagardere Unlimited and Brian Clifton of Pindar Enterprises, negotiated a rare two guaranteed signature shoes for Wall.

The deal exceeds what most industry insiders believed even Wall, a spectacular talent, could get in this marketplace. In the declining economy, shoe companies have become more judicious about handing out such big guaranteed deals to rookies. The No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, was reported to have signed for $400,000 annually with Nike. Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings(notes) had a more lucrative deal with Under Armour that he signed out of high school, worth approximately $2 million over four years.

Reebok and Fegan were moving toward a signed agreement on Wednesday night, sources said.

Reebok’s bid for Wall beat overtures by Nike and Under Armour, sources said.

It didn’t hurt Wall’s marketability that the big market Washington Wizards won the draft lottery and have the No. 1 overall pick. He’s expected to be the centerpiece of the franchise’s rebuilding process.

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DAYTON, OH —Kevin Dillard is transferring from Southern Illinois to the University of Dayton because he thinks he can better himself as a basketball player.

The move also might end up elevating the games of his future Flyers teammates.

“I’m very versatile. I’m willing to do anything for the team,” he said. “I think I can [...]]]>

DAYTON, OH —Kevin Dillard is transferring from Southern Illinois to the University of Dayton because he thinks he can better himself as a basketball player.

The move also might end up elevating the games of his future Flyers teammates.

“I’m very versatile. I’m willing to do anything for the team,” he said. “I think I can get people open shots, and that’s what I like to do most.”

The 6-foot combo guard, who was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2008 after a standout season at Homewood-Flossmoor High School near Chicago, had numerous offers after deciding to transfer. He ended up picking UD over Alabama.

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Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton said Saturday they’re going to remain in the NBA Draft rather than return for their sophomores seasons.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)—Kentucky’s freshman exodus is complete.

Guard Eric Bledsoe and center Daniel Orton said Saturday they’re going to remain in the NBA Draft rather than return for their sophomores seasons.

They will [...]]]> Associated Press

Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton said Saturday they’re going to remain in the NBA Draft rather than return for their sophomores seasons.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)—Kentucky’s freshman exodus is complete.

Guard Eric Bledsoe and center Daniel Orton said Saturday they’re going to remain in the NBA Draft rather than return for their sophomores seasons.

They will join classmates John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in the draft. Junior forward Patrick Patterson is also leaving school early to head to the NBA, leaving coach John Calipari with some major holes to fill heading into next season.

Saturday was the deadline for underclassmen to remove their names from draft consideration.

Bledsoe averaged 11.9 points in the backcourt alongside Wall, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. The 6-foot-1 Bledsoe made 49 3-pointers and created one of the quickest guard combinations in the country with Wall.

“I never thought I’d be ready for the NBA after one year,” Bledsoe said. “I worked hard to be able to have this choice. Coach Cal pushed me to be the best I could be, and I’m ready to take my game to the next level.”

Orton spent most of the season as a reserve center behind Cousins. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds and was second on the team with 53 blocks. Orton called his season with the Wildcats a great experience but he’s ready to move on.

The 6-10 Orton is considered raw offensively, but Calipari said he’d received calls from several NBA teams inquiring about Orton’s ability.

“There are teams all over that first round that say we really like the guy,” Calipari said.

Bledsoe and Orton were part of one of the greatest freshmen classes in recent memory, helping Kentucky go 35-3 and win the SEC regular season and conference tournament titles.

Calipari has already begun the rebuilding process. The Wildcats have signed Florida high school star Brandon Knight and Turkish center Enes Kanter.

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Patrick Patterson Heading for the NBA

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Patrick Patterson believes his three years at Kentucky have prepared him for life in the NBA.

Both on and off the floor.

Patterson evolved from a somewhat raw 6-foot-9 talent who never ventured too far from the basket into a polished forward who could knock [...]]]> Associated Press

Patrick Patterson Heading for the NBA

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Patrick Patterson believes his three years at Kentucky have prepared him for life in the NBA.

Both on and off the floor.

Patterson evolved from a somewhat raw 6-foot-9 talent who never ventured too far from the basket into a polished forward who could knock down a 3-pointer and lock down decidedly quicker players on defense.

But it’s what he endured away from the court that may have him even better equipped for the chaotic life of a professional.

“I definitely feel like a veteran, feel like it’s been five years at Kentucky,” Patterson said Friday after announcing he was going to enter the NBA Draft and skip his senior season with the Wildcats.

Maybe that’s because Patterson’s involvement with Kentucky spanned parts of three distinct eras in the program’s history.

He was recruited by Tubby Smith, who then bolted the Bluegrass for Minnesota before getting Patterson to commit. New coach Billy Gillispie eventually persuaded Patterson to help restore the program to it’s former glory. Which Patterson did, but under John Calipari, who replaced Gillispie following two turbulent seasons on the job.

Eventually, however, Patterson did what he promised he would do when he arrived: put Kentucky back on the map. He averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds last season as the Wildcats went 35-3 and tore through the Southeastern Conference on their way to both the regular season and conference tournament titles.

“The first two years here at the University of Kentucky were not the true Kentucky years,” Patterson said. “To be part of a team that got us back, I definitely think that I was part of the history and progression of getting Kentucky back to where it needs to be and it should be.”

Patterson will join freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton in the NBA Draft. Though the university announced two weeks ago Patterson was leaving, he wavered, telling The Associated Press on April 10 that he was “50-50” about coming back.

Part of the wavering came from the pain of coming up just short of reaching the Final Four. The Wildcats were upset by West Virginia in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament, a particularly bitter pill to swallow for Patterson, a West Virginia native.

“It’s definitely still eating at me,” he said. “It’s extremely tough to leave the way we did. We definitely weren’t satisfied with being in the Elite Eight.”

Calipari encouraged Patterson to return for another season, though with his degree in hand—he’s on track to graduate in two weeks—the prospect of becoming a first-round selection is simply too good to pass up.

He hasn’t hired an agent yet but said he expects to be taken sometime in the middle of the first round. That’s about where he was slotted to go last spring when he put his name in for the draft only to reconsider after talking to Calipari.

He considers himself a better all-around player now thanks in part to playing in Calipari’s dribble drive offense. He developed a jump shot—he made a respectable 35 percent of his 3-pointers—and proved capable playing defense on the perimeter.

Though his scoring and rebounding averages this year were both career lows, he seamlessly fit in with a revamped roster that propelled Kentucky back to national prominence.

He doesn’t expect the Wildcats to go anywhere. He’s taken notice of the high profile recruits flocking to Kentucky—the Wildcats signed point guard Brandon Knight last week and have verbal commitments from two of the top players in the Class of 2011—and has little doubt the program is back to stay.

“I consider it like he’s passing the baton,” said Tywanna Patterson, his mother. “Like everybody that is leaving is basically passing the baton to someone else. Therefore, we’re back on top, we’ll always be great at Kentucky. So he’s not leaving it in disarray.”

Teague, ranked as the No.2 player in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com, can't sign a letter of intent until November.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Marquis Teague said he was ready to commit to the University of Louisville at least twice during a two-year recruitment by the Cardinals.

But when Teague, a standout junior basketball [...]]]> Associated Press

Teague, ranked as the No.2 player in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com, can't sign a letter of intent until November.

INDIANAPOLIS — Marquis Teague said he was ready to commit to the University of Louisville at least twice during a two-year recruitment by the Cardinals.

But when Teague, a standout junior basketball prospect from Indianapolis Pike High School, made his announcement on Thursday afternoon, the 6-foot-2 point guard put on a University of Kentucky hat.

Calipari‘s track record with top guards made a critical difference.

“He’s coached guards real well,” Teague said in announcing his college choice in an administrative meeting room at Pike High School. “I want to be a great guard. . . . I feel he’s the best coach for me.”

Teague’s announcement gives Kentucky commitments from the players rated by Rivals.com as the top two in the class of 2011. Teague, who is No. 2, joins New Jersey forward Michael Gilchrist, the No. 1 prospect, who committed to Calipari last week.

When asked how he thought he and Gilchrist would fare together, Teague said, “I think we can do some great things at Kentucky, have a nice dynasty.”

Calipari had sought to get a commitment from the best available point guard for a fifth straight year. He had signed, in order, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall and Brandon Knight in the last four recruiting years.

That history made a winning impression on two influential people in Teague’s life: his mother, Carol, and his older brother, former Wake Forest star Jeff Teague.

“He told me from the get-go, when he heard that Kentucky offered me, that’s where he wanted me to go,” Teague said of his brother. “Coach Cal will allow me to play my game and not hold me back.”

His brother, now playing for the Atlanta Hawks, held considerable influence.

“His opinion means everything to me,” Teague said. “I never really tell him this stuff, but I listen to my brother.”

Teague also noted the importance of his mother’s approval.

“My mother really enjoys him (Calipari),” the player said. “If my mom enjoys you, that’s the biggest (endorsement). She’s my heart. If she likes you, then I like you.”

Carol Teague said that Calipari did not charm her. He won her over for purely basketball reasons.

“I like his style of play,” she said. “I just feel it’s Marquis’ style of play.”

In a delicious twist to this UK-U of L recruiting battle, the Cardinals’ coach, Rick Pitino, coached Teague’s father at Boston University. So the Teague family had close ties with Pitino, who staged a two-year recruiting effort for Marquis.

Ultimately, Teague and his family felt Calipari was the best of two good choices.

“I’ve watched a lot of basketball,” Carol Teague said. “I know the way Marquis plays. And the guards I’ve seen (Calipari) coach, it kind of fits Marquis more.

“Marquis is a guy, he has to kind of have the ball in his hands and you kind of let him go. He can create.”

Recruiting analysts generally consider Teague as the best point guard in the high school class of 2011.

“Definitely,” said Jerry Meyer, an analyst for Rivals.com. “He’s working himself into the same category of the other great point guards: Rose, Wall.”

Meyer likened Teague to Rose or Wall in terms of ballhandling, speed, court vision and ability to finish plays at the basket.

“And he’s a pretty good jump shooter,” the Rivals.com analyst said.

Teague, whose brother Jeff starred for Wake Forest before leaving for the NBA as an underclassman, rates ahead of his older sibling, according to analyst Brick Oettinger of the Prep Stars recruiting service.

“Jeff was very good,” Oettinger said before adding of Marquis, “Whenever he goes, you have to like him.”

Teague, who will be a senior at Pike High next season, reminded Meyer of another former Wake Forest point guard, Chris Paul.

“He’s that size,” Meyer said. “He takes contact. He’s a great — I mean tremendous — ball-handler. And he has a tremendous burst to the basket.”

The possibility of a recruiting class headed by Gilchrist and Teague had recruiting analysts reaching for flowery tributes to throw at Kentucky.

“Well, that’d be a pretty good start when you start with the No. 1 (Gilchrist) and No. 2 (Teague) players in the class,” Meyer said. “That would only drive more top-flight talent to Kentucky.”

Added Oettinger with a laugh, “I’d say that’s going to be the best class in the country.”

COLUMBUS, OH — Dave Dickerson, former head coach at Tulane, has been added to the Big Ten Champion Ohio State men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, head coach Thad Matta announced Monday. His appointment begins immediately.

Dave Dickerson, a former player and coach at Maryland and most recently the head coach at [...]]]> Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com

COLUMBUS, OH — Dave Dickerson, former head coach at Tulane, has been added to the Big Ten Champion Ohio State men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, head coach Thad Matta announced Monday. His appointment begins immediately.

Dave Dickerson, a former player and coach at Maryland and most recently the head coach at Tulane, has joined Thad Matta's staff as an assistant coach.

“We are extremely excited to bring Dave on staff,” Matta said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program as a coach and former player. Through the interview process it was easy to see how much he appreciates The Ohio State University and what it stands for. I know he is ready to hit the ground running to build upon our great basketball tradition.”

Dickerson, 43, replaces Alan Major who accepted the head coaching position at Charlotte two weeks ago.

During his five years as head coach at Tulane, Dickerson compiled a 68-84 record, 31-47 in Conference USA, after inheriting a Green Wave basketball program that had registered just one winning season during the five years prior to his arrival.  He guided the Wave to back-to-back winning seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08, a feat not accomplished in the 11 previous years, and led the squad to four-consecutive opening-round wins in the Conference USA Tournament to start his tenure.

Prior to his time in New Orleans, Dickerson spent nine years as an assistant under Gary Williams at Maryland, his alma mater, and in 2004-05, was the program’s associate head coach. He helped the Terrapins to nine-consecutive postseason appearances, including five Sweet Sixteens, two Final Fours and one National Championship in 2002, and eight 20-win seasons.

Accolades for Dickerson have included his recognition as an AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003, the ACC’s No. 1 Assistant Coach as named by Basketball News (2003-04), Athlon Sports’ No. 4 Assistant Coach in the nation (2003-04), and an “Assistant Coach on the Rise” as tabbed by ESPN’s Andy Katz.

Dickerson also served as assistant coach at Gardner Webb (1990-91), James Madison (1991-92) and Radford (1993-96) before returning to Maryland. As a player, he lettered for the Terrapins from 1986-89, earning team captain status as a senior.

A native of Olar, S.C., Dickerson graduated from Maryland in 1990 with a degree in government and politics. He is married to the former Laurette Newsom, a 1991 graduate of Maryland. The couple has one child, Dave III.

Cousins says NBA stock is too high to return to UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. —DeMarcus Cousins was simply looking for a place he could be accepted, a school that would embrace his “goofiness” as he put it.

He found all that and more at Kentucky, where the 6-foot-11 center matured into one of [...]]]> Associated Press

Cousins says NBA stock is too high to return to UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. —DeMarcus Cousins was simply looking for a place he could be accepted, a school that would embrace his “goofiness” as he put it.

He found all that and more at Kentucky, where the 6-foot-11 center matured into one of the nation’s top big men on the court and a beloved eccentric off it.

It was, Cousins says, one of the most “precious” years of his life. It also wasn’t enough to keep him from heading to the NBA.

The Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year is one of five Kentucky underclassmen heading to the NBA after leading the Wildcats to a remarkable turnaround season in John Calipari’s first season on the bench. And while the departures of teammate John Wall and Patrick Patterson were almost expected, Cousins wasn’t always sure he’d say goodbye so soon.

“When I first got here, I thought I’d be here awhile,” Cousins said Thursday. “But as the season progressed, I progressed, and now I’m here.

Cousins talked with agent John Greig sitting just off to his right with Calipari and the rest of the Kentucky coaching staff watching from a nearby table. He spoke emotionally about his season with the Wildcats and understands the atmosphere will be decidedly different at the next level.

“I didn’t want to leave this place,” Cousins said Thursday. “I could stay here forever … it was a hard decision.”

Yet one Cousins felt he had to make. Most NBA experts have him projected as a Top 5 pick, and he’s not sure another year at Kentucky would help as much as it would hurt.

“If I did come back, I could get hurt,” he said. “Anything can happen … my stock is high right now.”

So are the stocks of the other Wildcats who are heading to the NBA early. Cousins gave almost all the credit to Calipari.

“He just teaches fast and if you don’t get it, you get left behind, which pretty much means you’re going to be around for awhile and that’s how it is in the league,” he said. “They teach fast and if you don’t get it, you’ll quickly be left behind and quickly be out of the league.”

Cousins doesn’t plan on going anywhere once he’s selected, almost certainly in the top 10. There’s even a chance, depending on how the ping pong balls fall in the NBA Draft Lottery, that he could be selected before Wall.

It’s an idea that seemed absurd six months ago, one now that could be a distinct possibility if a team covets Cousins’ still-growing 6-foot-11, 270-pound frame more than Wall’s speed and dazzling playmaking.

Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game for the Wildcats, who went 35-3 and won the SEC regular season and conference titles before falling to West Virginia in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament. His numbers are particularly gaudy considering his limited playing time. Cousins was on the court just 23.5 minutes a game, partly because he struggled to stay out of foul trouble early in the season and because the Wildcats won so many blowouts.

He had problems reining in his emotions at times, growing frustrated as overmatched opponents often slapped and pushed him around hoping to get inside his head. Louisville guard Edgar Sosa called Cousins “crazy” after Cousins appeared to swing an elbow at Louisville forward Jared Swopshire during a scrum when the two rivals met in January.

Cousins laughed it off, something he did a lot during his postgame media sessions that sometimes doubled as open mic night at a local comedy club. He would sometimes walk in wearing thick nonprescription glasses—a tribute to Spiderman alter-ego Peter Parker—and a fur Russian cap so the Mobile, Ala., native could stave off the cold Central Kentucky nights.

One of the nation’s most ardent fan bases ate it up. He says he received 70-80 marriage proposals (none of which he accepted) and went by a handful of nicknames, from “Boogie” to “Big Cuz” to “the Dancing Bear.”

He’s not quite sure how his personality will go over in an NBA locker room— “hopefully very well,” he said with a laugh—but didn’t think he really had a choice.

Neither did Calipari. While Calipari didn’t answer questions on Thursday, Cousins said Calipari practically ordered him to enter the draft.

“He told me it’s my time to go,” Cousins said, then nodded his head vigorously later when a reporter asked if Calipari “pushed” him out.

Cousins admits he’s curious to see how Calipari will restock the roster, a process that began in earnest on Wednesday when the Wildcats signed guard Brandon Knight and center Enes Kanter.

He’s hopeful next year’s version of the Wildcats can do the one thing this year’s version couldn’t: make the Final Four. Kentucky was the top-seed in the East Region but was upset by second-seeded West Virginia in the regional finals.

The loss still haunts Cousins and the rest of the Wildcats three weeks later, and he appears in no hurry to get over it.

“We were saying, if we could just make two shots,” Cousins said. “There was a lot of stuff we said. But that’s the past.”