Seven Kentucky basketball players announced on Thursday that they will enter the NBA draft.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Dakari Johnson, Andrew Harrison, and Aaron Harrison are the players entering the NBA draft. Towns could be the first pick overall and Cauley-Stein and Lyles are projected as possible lottery selections, according to the Associated Press. Booker is also a possible first-round selection while the rest of the players are projected to be picked in the second round. Kentucky coach John Calipari has had 19 NBA draft picks, including 15 first-round selections and two number one overall picks while coaching at Kentucky.
''It was a tough decision for all of us, but we wanted to chase our dreams,'' Aaron Harrison said.
''This was a decision that had to be made, and now is the time to go,'' Cauley-Stein said.
The seven players that are going to the NBA draft were the top seven scorers for Kentucky. Booker, who is a freshman, shot 41 percent from behind the arc this season. Lyles averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, while Johnson averaged 6.4 points and 4.6 boards, according to ESPN. Aaron Harrison led Kentucky in scoring with 11 points per game. Andrew Harrison averaged 9.3 points and led Kentucky in assists. The seven players accounted for 85percent of Kentucky’s scoring and 77 percent of its rebounding this season.
Kentucky won the SEC championship and was undefeated until they lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. They finished the season with a 38-1 record. Next season they have guard Tyler Ulis, and forwards Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress returning. Kentucky has recruited guards Isaiah Briscoe and Charles Matthews, and forward Skal Labissiere, who are considered top players.