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.

—

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).

—

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.

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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.”

—

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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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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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP)—Seton Hall says three of its top basketball players will return to school instead of entering the upcoming NBA draft.

Assistant athletic director Matt Sweeney confirmed Friday that guard Jeremy Hazell and forwards Jeff Robinson and Herb Pope have filed the paperwork to withdraw their names from the draft, thereby retaining [...]]]> Associated Press

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP)—Seton Hall says three of its top basketball players will return to school instead of entering the upcoming NBA draft.

Assistant athletic director Matt Sweeney confirmed Friday that guard Jeremy Hazell and forwards Jeff Robinson and Herb Pope have filed the paperwork to withdraw their names from the draft, thereby retaining their amateur status.

Pope, who averaged 11.5 points last season and led the Big East by averaging 10.7 rebounds, collapsed last week while working out at the university. Sweeney said he could not provide an update on Pope’s condition, citing federal privacy laws.

Hazell was the Pirates’ leading scorer last season with a 20.4 average, while Robinson averaged 12.2 points.

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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.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville center Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his junior season.

Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said Samuels and his family approached Pitino about [...]]]> Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville center Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his junior season.

Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said Samuels and his family approached Pitino about testing the NBA draft and that he supports Samuels “100 percent.”

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound sophomore has until May 8 to withdraw from draft consideration. He averaged 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season for the Cardinals.

Pitino said he will orchestrate Samuels’ meetings with NBA teams.

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.”

Ohio St's Evan Turner wins Wooden Award

LOS ANGELES — Evan Turner posed for endless photographs while holding the hefty John R. Wooden Award, grinning wide enough to show the braces on his lower teeth. His mother sat quietly in an evening dress on the second row of seats at the [...]]]> Associated Press

Ohio St's Evan Turner wins Wooden Award

LOS ANGELES — Evan Turner posed for endless photographs while holding the hefty John R. Wooden Award, grinning wide enough to show the braces on his lower teeth. His mother sat quietly in an evening dress on the second row of seats at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, waiting for her turn with college basketball’s consensus player of the year.

“I guess I’m going to have to get used to it,” Iris James said with a laugh.

Indeed, the Ohio State star’s life is only speeding up after he claimed yet another trophy as the nation’s top basketball player.

Turner was chosen Friday night over Kentucky freshman John Wall, Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson, West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler and Kansas guard Sherron Collins for the 34th Wooden Award.

Turner already won The Associated Press player of the year award and the Naismith Award among other honors, essentially making a clean sweep of the sport’s top prizes after his stellar season with the Buckeyes.

“This is absolutely crazy,” Turner said, thinking back on every honor of the past month. “I was hoping for one player-of-the-year award, but to get about five of them is crazy. I knew if my team did well, I was going to do well on these awards. What sent me over the top as a dominant player was our team’s success, and I know that.”

The Big Ten’s player of the year averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists while making more than 52 percent of his shots and leading the Buckeyes (29-8) to the NCAA tournament’s regional semifinals.

The 6-foot-7 ball-handling swingman announced Tuesday he’s skipping his senior season to enter the NBA draft. He’s already getting advice on his future from an excellent source: Kobe Bryant texted congratulations and draft-preparation advice to Turner earlier this week, and Turner expects to meet up with the Lakers star when he attends Sunday’s game against Portland at Staples Center.

“He’s been really great to me,” Turner said. “He just basically tells me to prepare for the draft like it’s just another part of basketball. Awards are great, but it’s about working hard every day.”

Turner also spared a moment onstage to thank his mother, who raised him by herself in the Chicago area.

“You’ve been taking care of me,” Turner said. “Now let me take care of you.”

Connecticut’s Tina Charles won the women’s Wooden Award, beating Huskies teammate Maya Moore by one point in the closest voting in the award’s history.

Florida’s Billy Donovan received a Legends of Coaching award, with the 44-year-old becoming the youngest coach to receive the honor.

Turner received 3,715 points in the voting by more than 1,000 media members and college basketball experts. Wall, the Wildcats’ NBA-bound point guard, finished a close second with 3,331 points, while Johnson was third with 1,871.

The top three vote-getters are spending a whirlwind half-week in Los Angeles. Turner and Johnson appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Thursday — Wall couldn’t go because he had to take a test for school — and all three coached in a Special Olympics basketball tournament on Friday morning.

Turner joins a list of Wooden Award winners including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Kevin Durant and 2009 winner Blake Griffin. The former Oklahoma star, who missed the entire NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers with a knee injury, presented the trophy to Turner at the downtown club.

Turner was selected to the All-America team last month, receiving all but one possible first-team vote. He’s the first Ohio State player to win the Wooden Award.

Turner has won an armful of player-of-the-year trophies despite missing 4½ weeks of the regular season with broken bones in his back, coming back more quickly than expected — partly by using the Ohio State football team’s facilities for rehabilitation.

“I just tried to stay mentally tough and keep an edge for myself,” Turner said of his injury absence. “I built up my mental capacity during that time and prepared myself.”

After Ohio State rallied from a 1-3 Big Ten start to win a share of the conference title, Turner won the Big Ten tournament’s most outstanding player award while leading the Buckeyes to the title.

Ohio State then reached the third round the NCAA tournament before falling to Tennessee. Turner missed two potential tying 3-pointers in the final seconds of the Buckeyes’ upset loss.

“That was one of the toughest moments I’ve had in basketball,” Turner said. “Sometimes you have to pay your dues.”

Evan Turner Will Enter 2010 NBA Draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After collecting almost every national player of the year honor, Ohio State‘s Evan Turner is skipping his senior season to test himself in the NBA.

The 6-foot-7 point guard is expected to be a top-three pick in the June 24 draft. Yet [...]]]> Associated Press

Evan Turner Will Enter 2010 NBA Draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After collecting almost every national player of the year honor, Ohio State‘s Evan Turner is skipping his senior season to test himself in the NBA.

The 6-foot-7 point guard is expected to be a top-three pick in the June 24 draft. Yet he said his decision wasn’t an easy one.

“This is the toughest thing I had to do,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I was blessed with this decision and I have a great opportunity. I’m going to turn a leaf over and go on to the next stage of my life.”

The Chicago native averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field, 36.4 percent behind the arc and 76 percent at the line.

Turner was moved to point guard before the season, a decision by coach Thad Matta that raised some eyebrows because Turner had never played the position and had been prone to making mistakes with the ball.

But with Turner leading the way the Buckeyes went a surprising 29-8 (second-most wins in school history), won a share of the Big Ten title, took the conference tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament round of 16 before falling to Tennessee.

Even Matta said he knew it was time for Turner to make the leap to the next level.

“I told him up front, I’m OK if you go,” he said. “I said, ‘Coach Matta wants you back, but Thad Matta is OK if you go.’ [It's] knowing what’s right for him.”

Turner said it wasn’t until late in the season that his mind wandered to his decision.

“February hit and I kind of started thinking a little bit about it,” he said. “I was in a win-win situation. I felt like if I would have come back we could have done big things, and also moving on and going to the NBA I could do good things. I had to look at what was going to make me happy.”

A first-team All-American, Turner had a huge year despite missing 4½ weeks with broken bones in his back. He was injured while dunking during a game on Dec. 5, and had to go through extensive rehab before returning. The Buckeyes were just 3-3 without him.

He said the injury had little effect on his decision.

“You can’t really tell what’s going to go on with fate,” Turner said. “I tried to make the decision as a grown man looking toward the future.”

Turner has not hired an agent, but made it clear he is not waffling.

“I felt that whatever I did, I had to have two feet in,” he said. “I had to be committed. This is the decision I’m committed [to].”

Before the injury, he had triple-doubles in two of the Buckeyes’ first five games. Even in the second round of the NCAA tournament, he flirted with another triple-double with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Georgia Tech.

A near-unanimous pick for Big Ten player of the year after leading the league in scoring, rebounding and finishing second in assists, he guided Ohio State to wins in 16 of its final 18 games heading into the NCAA tournament.

The conference tournament provided his signature moment. He took an inbounds pass, dribbled to just past midcourt and hit a 37-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat archrival Michigan 69-68 in the quarterfinals. Two days later, he had 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Buckeyes beat Minnesota to win the tournament.

The Associated Press player of the year this season said it wasn’t up to him how he would be remembered.

“The people who guard [you], they pretty much build your legacy,” he said. “You don’t build your own legacy. We’ll see in 10 or 15 years.”

Not even the top player on his high school team (Illinois’ Demetri McCamey was considered more of a blue-chipper), Turner set a record by being chosen Big Ten player of the week 10 times during his career, including an unprecedented seven times this season.

Turner foundered early in his college career, unsure of what his role was in Matta’s offense. But he sure came around.

Ohio State honors national players of the year by putting their numbers on a banner hanging from the ceiling of Value City Arena. Turner, the Naismith Award winner, will join such luminaries as Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, Gary Bradds and Jim Jackson in that honor.

Because he declared for the NBA draft before an April 12 deadline, his departure will not lead to Ohio State receiving an Academic Progress Rate penalty. The basketball program was penalized after the late withdrawals of Greg Oden (2007) and Kosta Koufos (2008).

The third pick in June’s draft is guaranteed more than $7 million for the first two years of his contract, the second pick nearly $8 million and the top pick almost $9 million.

Ohio State has a strong recruiting class, led by the Naismith Award winner at the high school level, 6-9 Jared Sullinger of Columbus’ Northland High School.

“I had great times here, but I leave the program in great hands,” Turner said. “Obviously we have a lot of great players coming in and a lot of great players right now. We’re going to stay on top.”