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Kentucky didn’t have an NBA Draft lottery pick for the first time in the John Calipari era
By Adam Spencer
Published:
How good of a recruiter has Kentucky coach John Calipari been? Well, every year since he took over at Kentucky in 2009, he’s had at least one player chosen in the lottery of the NBA Draft.
However, on Wednesday night at the 2020 NBA Draft, the Kentucky Wildcats were shut out of the lottery for the first time under Coach Cal.
Yes, they still had a first-round pick in Tyrese Maxey (and potentially more coming), but none of this past season’s Wildcats went in the first 14 picks, which are the lottery picks.
Maxey was the No. 21 overall pick, going to the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley — the SEC co-Player of the Year this past season, has been getting some first-round buzz.
Calipari brings in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class and a top transfer in Olivier Sarr this season, so we’ll see if Kentucky gets back in the lottery in 2021.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
