June 24, 2010
Quotes from Wall, Cousins, and Patterson
| Download the Wallpaper | Video from draft night
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Five former Wildcats made history tonight as all five players were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, led by John Wall, the first Wildcat ever selected as the first overall pick.
Wall was selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards, followed by DeMarcus Cousins at No. 5 by the Sacramento Kings. Patrick Patterson went 14th to the Houston Rockets, while Eric Bledsoe went 18th to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Daniel Orton ended the night for Kentucky when he was selected 29th by the Orlando Magic.
| Player | Drafted By | Round | # Pick | # Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Wall | Washington Wizards | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Patrick Patterson | Houston Rockets | 1 | 14 | 14 |
| Eric Bledsoe | Oklahoma City Thunder | 1 | 18 | 18 |
| Daniel Orton | Orlando Magic | 1 | 29 | 29 |
It marks the first time that five players from the same school were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Prior to Wall’s selection by the Wizards, the highest UK draft pick was Sam Bowie in the 1984 NBA Draft. Bowie was taken second overall by the Portland Trailblazers, behind Akeem Olajuwon who was taken first by the Houston Rockets and before Michael Jordan who was taken third by the Chicago Bulls.
In addition, UK head coach John Calipari became the fifth college coach to have coached two overall No. 1 picks. Calipari coached Derrick Rose, the 2008 No. 1 pick, at Memphis in the 2007-08 season.
University of Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari on tonight’s NBA Draft…
“For a program that makes history pretty regularly, Thursday night was a truly historic evening. An unprecedented FIVE Wildcats were chosen in the 1st round of the 2010 NBA Draft. I am so proud of John, DeMarcus, Patrick, Eric and Daniel and I love the way they have represented our University, our program & the Big Blue Nation.”
2010 NBA Draft UK Notes
- The last time the Wildcats had five players selected in the draft was in 1984 when Sam Bowie (1st Rd., 2nd overall, Portland), Melvin Turpin (1st Rd., 6th overall, Washington), Dickie Beal (4th Rd., 81st overall, Atlanta), Jim Master (6th Rd., 127th overall, Atlanta) and Tom Heitz (8th Rd., 163rd overall, Indiana) were all drafted.
- It’s the most selections for Kentucky since the draft went to two rounds in 1989. The previous high was four Wildcats in the 1996 draft.
- The Wildcats have had 97 players drafted by the NBA since the draft began in 1947.
- 25 Wildcats have been selected in the first round.
- Kentucky becomes the 12th school to have had a number one draft pick in both the NFL and the NBA. Former UK All-American quarterback Tim Couch was the No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL Draft.
- John Wall is the first overall No. 1 pick from the SEC since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992.
- John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are the first duo from Kentucky to be selected in the top five of the NBA Draft.
- John Wall is the fifth Wildcat drafted by the Washington Wizards franchise. The last was Ed Davender by the Washington Bullets in the 1988 draft.
- DeMarcus Cousins is the eighth Wildcat drafted by the Sacramento Kings franchise. The last was Bob Guyette by the K.C.-Omaha Kings in the 1975 draft.
- Patrick Patterson is the third Wildcat to be drafted by the Houston Rockets franchise. The last was Fred Cowan in the 1981 draft.
- Eric Bledsoe is the third Wildcat to be drafted by the Oklahoma City franchise. The last was James Lee in the 1978 draft by the Seattle Supersonics.
- Daniel Orton is the second Wildcat to be drafted by the Orlando Magic franchise. The other was Rodney Dent in the 1994 draft.
