Former Kentucky pros are having quite the success in the pros lately. Let’s take a brief look at how some former UK stars are fairing in the NBA and NFL:- DeMarcus Cousins has helped the upstart Sacramento Kings get off to a surprising 3-1 start. The former UK forward scored 10 points and three rebounds in the fourth quarter Monday night to lead the Kings back from a double-digit deficit. Cousins is averaging 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Kings.- With starting point guard Baron Davis sitting out because of a sore left knee, Eric Bledsoe received his first NBA start of his career for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Bledsoe scored nine points and three assists in 39 minutes for the winless Clippers.- There is a ton of hype surrounding this year’s No. 1 NBA Draft pick John Wall, and deservedly so, but he still has a ways to go until he catches up to the talents of another former Kentucky player, Rajon Rondo. The Boston Celtics point guard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week to open the season after averaging 10.7 points, 16.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds in the Celtics’ first three games. With all the options Rondo has around him, he’s the early favorite to win this year’s assists title. – Meanwhile, just a day after Ramon Harris signed a contract to play in the NBA D-League, three former Cats were drafted in the NBDL annual draft. Perry Stevenson, a teammate of Harris’ last season, was picked in the second round by the Tulsa 66ers. Also, a pair of former UK 7-footers, Jared Carter and Shagari Alleyne, was also picked up. Carter was selected in the sixth round by the Erie BayHawks and Alleyne went to the Austin Toros in the seventh round.- It was only a matter of time before Jacob Tamme got a chance with the Indianapolis Colts. With Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark on the bench with an injury, Tamme caught six passes for 64 yards and his first career touchdown in his first career start on Monday Night Football.- I’d never wish anyone to get hurt, but props to former UK defensive tackle Myron Pryor for laying a nasty hit on Brett Favre on Sunday in the New England Patriots’ win over the Minnesota Vikings. Pryor knocked Favre, the NFL’s Iron Man, out of the game with a cut on his chin.- Meanwhile, Steve Johnson nearly helped the Buffalo Bills to their first win of the season with a game-tying 4-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter. The Bills came up short in overtime but Johnson is now up to 30 receptions for 409 yards and six touchdowns.
– Their seasons ended last week, but former UK men’s soccer stars Jason Griffiths and Barry Rice saw some action in their first seasons in the MLS. Griffiths played in 10 games and made four starts for the New England Revolution and Rice logged two games and a start for D.C. United.
