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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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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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LEXINGTON, Ky. —Kentucky assistant coach Rod Strickland has been voluntarily reassigned to another position within the program.

Strickland will move into an administrative role to reduce travel requirements following his DUI charge last month.

The school announced Thursday that Strickland will move into an administrative role to reduce travel requirements. The move comes a [...]]]> Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. —Kentucky assistant coach Rod Strickland has been voluntarily reassigned to another position within the program.

Strickland will move into an administrative role to reduce travel requirements following his DUI charge last month.

The school announced Thursday that Strickland will move into an administrative role to reduce travel requirements. The move comes a month after Strickland was charged with drunken driving. He has pleaded not guilty.

The search for Strickland’s replacement will begin immediately. Strickland came to the school with coach John Calipari last spring after working the Calipari at Memphis. He played 17 seasons in the NBA and has twice been convicted of drunken driving.

The school also promoted deputy athletic director Rob Mullens to director of day-to-day operations within the men’s basketball program.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. —John Calipari is reassuring Kentucky basketball fans that he plans to coach the Wildcats next year, despite speculation he is being pursued by the NBA.

ohn Calipari is reassuring Kentucky basketball fans that he plans to coach the Wildcats next year

Calipari sent a message on Twitter on Friday that said: “I [...]]]> Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. —John Calipari is reassuring Kentucky basketball fans that he plans to coach the Wildcats next year, despite speculation he is being pursued by the NBA.

ohn Calipari is reassuring Kentucky basketball fans that he plans to coach the Wildcats next year

Calipari sent a message on Twitter on Friday that said: “I will be coaching at Kentucky next year. Now let’s finish what we started!”

Calipari added that Kentucky is “the best job in the country” but that he couldn’t stop the speculation. He also said he was addressing the topic for the last time.

Several reports have linked Calipari to the vacant head coaching position with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose, the point guard he coached at Memphis.

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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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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach John Calipari says while he’s open to a contract extension, he’s not interested in a raise.

Calipari says he loves coaching at Kentucky and the Wildcats went 35-3 in his first season.

Calipari said Wednesday in an audio tweet on lexy.com that athletic director Mitch Barnhart approached him 10 [...]]]> Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach John Calipari says while he’s open to a contract extension, he’s not interested in a raise.

Calipari says he loves coaching at Kentucky and the Wildcats went 35-3 in his first season.

Calipari said Wednesday in an audio tweet on lexy.com that athletic director Mitch Barnhart approached him 10 days ago about restructuring his contract.

Calipari says he told Barnhart that he welcomes the idea but doesn’t want his compensation to change. He recently finished the first year of an eight-year deal that pays him just under $4 million a season.

The contract talks surfaced shortly after reports that Calipari was interested in coaching the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.

Calipari says he loves coaching at Kentucky and the Wildcats went 35-3 in his first season. Freshmen stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have both declared for the NBA draft.

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Calipari, Kentucky working on new contract

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach John Calipari could be in line for a raise.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Tuesday night the university and Calipari have started talks on a new deal that would keep the coach with the Wildcats for the rest of his career.

“We have [...]]]> Associated Press

Calipari, Kentucky working on new contract

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach John Calipari could be in line for a raise.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Tuesday night the university and Calipari have started talks on a new deal that would keep the coach with the Wildcats for the rest of his career.

“We have begun initial discussions on restructuring his contract so that he’s the coach at Kentucky until he retires,” Barnhart said in a statement.

Barnhart’s comments came just hours after reports surfaced linking Calipari and the coaching vacancy with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, who fired Vinny Del Negro on Tuesday.

Calipari, already the highest paid coach in men’s college basketball, just completed the first year of an eight-year deal that averages nearly $4 million a season. Kentucky went 35-3 last season behind the play of freshmen stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins.

“I’m extremely proud of what Coach Calipari has done in just one year as the leader of our men’s basketball program,” Barnhart said. “Cal has brought Kentucky men’s basketball back to its rightful place of national prominence and I’m excited about our future.”

Calipari tried to brush off the NBA speculation on his Facebook page.

“Every year you will hear my named mentioned for NBA jobs because I coached in the league before,” Calipari posted. “I’m very happy at Kentucky.”

Calipari went 72-112 in two-plus seasons with the New Jersey Nets in the late 1990s. He spent the 1999-2000 season as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers before returning to the collegiate level to coach at Memphis.

The 51-year-old Calipari spent nine seasons with the Tigers before coming to Kentucky last spring. He revitalized the program with arguably one of the greatest recruiting classes in history in Wall, Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton.

All four, however, are headed to the NBA. So is junior forward Patrick Patterson. Calipari has already put the finishing touches on another stellar class that includes point guard Brandon Knight, rated the top-rated high school senior in the country by Rivals.com.

Calipari has become something of a phenomenon during his one season in the Bluegrass, embracing the school’s tradition and legacy while connecting with one of the most demanding fan bases in the country. He has reveled in the spotlight but acknowledged on Monday that it can be draining.

“I love coaching here, but this is a hard job,” he said. “I haven’t had a day off in a long time. I am looking forward to it at some point, because we still have to finish this recruiting class, to just getting away.”

His destination, however, does not appear to be the NBA.

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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.”