According to DraftExpress.com, the NBA has sent out its nine green room invitations for the 2010 NBA Draft and Kentucky’s John Wall (duh!) and DeMarcus Cousins were among the invitees.Along with Wall and Cousins, the NBA invited Evan Turner (Ohio State), Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech), Wesley Johnson (Syracuse), Greg Monroe (Georgetown), Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Cole Aldrich (Kansas) and Epke Udoh (Baylor), according to DraftExpress.com. Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton and even Eric Bledsoe are among a group of hopefuls hoping to get the remaining five or six invites. Count Patterson as a likely choice.As DraftExpress.com wisely notes, if you’re among one of the top 15 or so invited to the New York City, your chances of going in the lottery are very good.

Also, if you haven’t seen the home page yet, Kenny Payne has officially joined the UK men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach. Huge get for head coach John Calipari and his staff. Calipari has been after the highly touted assistant coach for years. Payne is known nationally as one of the best recruiters in the business.