For UK fans, the big highlight of last night had to be pick #53, when DeAndre Liggins was drafted and secured another four Kentucky players drafted into the league. That was great stuff for UK and coach Calipari.
But for almost everyone else, it was the big, fat smacker that Jan Vesely put on his tall, beautiful girlfriend when his name was called at #6, and which drew much comment around the Internet. Someone tweeted shortly after that he walked up near the woman, and although the tweeter was 6'2", the girl was taller than him. Note to self -- wear elevator shoes when visiting the Czech Republic.
Now, for the links:
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Jorts have Arrived! " Sports 'n' Jorts
Why the heck not? Warning -- the second picture has scarred me for life. - Four Wildcats Selected in 2011 NBA Draft
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NBA Draft caps 'impossible' turnarounds of Harrellson, Liggins
"It just shows that you never give up on what you do," Liggins said. "Everybody goes through things, whether it involves basketball or life. I've been through both. I've been through a lot on the court and off the court. I never gave up on my dream to play basketball. I continued to get better. Coach Cal did a great job preparing my game as did the rest of the coaching staff."
When somebody tells you Calipari doesn't develop players, point to this quote.
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Smith mentioned Liggins' defense and situational three-point marksmanship as reasons he liked him, but also mentioned Liggins' intangibles, noting he played well when called upon in key situations last season. He also praised Liggins' toughness, specifically referencing Liggins' upbringing in Chicago. Liggins, when addressing the media by telephone, agreed with Smith's assessment and compared himself to Tony Allen, another Chicago native who's earned his keep as a nightmarish defender despite dubious offensive skill.
Liggins' offensive skills are far from dubious, they are merely under-developed. That will change quickly in the NBA. His fundamentals are sound.
- Better Know a Knick: Shumpert and Jorts! -- The Sports Section
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Some Interesting UK-NBA Draft Facts | LEX18.com | Lexington, Kentucky
So when was the last time Kentucky had multiple players selected in the first round in back-to-back years?
It was 1996 -1997. Antoine Walker was the sixth overall pick by Boston in '96. Tony Delk went to Charlotte at No. 16, and Walter McCarty was selected by New York with the 19th pick. The next year, Ron Mercer was the sixth pick overall, also going to Boston, and Cleveland took Derek Anderson with the 13th pick.It's been a while. Too long, really.
By the way, how did Pitino do last night again?
- NBA first-round picks
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Kanter, Knight among top eight NBA Draft picks; Harrellson, Liggins go in second round :: Lexington Herald-Leader
Well, Jerry Tipton managed to avoid any snarky, pointed editorializing in this article. -
Joe Dumars on Brandon Knight: It's about talent, not fit - Detroit Bad Boys
DraftExpress predicted the best-case comparison for Knight was Chauncey Billups in his prime -- perhaps in part because of his shooting ability. Dumars sees the similarity. "The comparison is because he can shoot so well," he said. "Chauncey can stand out there and shoot with the best of them and this kid, that’s what he does. He can really shoot the ball. He’s going to be one of those point guards, when you name the best shooting point guards, he’s going to be one of those guys.
If Knight turns out to be even 80% as good as Billups has been, he'll be around the NBA for a long time.
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Not so much the Kentucky Effect as the Calipari Effect :: John Clay’s Sidelines
But truthfully, those are Calipari numbers. Before UK lured Cal from Memphis, the Cats had just six players drafted over the previous 10 years. Good, not great. The Kentucky Effect wasn’t working quite as well then, was it?
Truth, forsooth.
- NBA 2011 Draft Day Trades and the Winners :: The Hoop Doctors
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Bill Simmons: The Sports Guy's draft diary for the 2011 NBA draft - Grantland
Long, but utterly hilarious. -
Ex-NBA bad boy Ron Artest wants to be known as Metta World Peace – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs
Because "World B. Free" and "Moon Unit Zappa" were already taken. -
Not getting drafted may be a good thing for Jacob Pullen - Topeka Kansas State Wildcats | Examiner.com
Oh, yeah, how could anyone have ever imagined that going undrafted was a BAD thing? -
2011 NBA Draft Winners and Losers - CBSSports.com
Brandon Knight: Plummeted due to his attitude and wound up in dysfunctional Detroit.
Well, one does wonder if his unwillingness to compete was an issue, but I don't think that can be properly characterized as his "attitude," especially since almost everyone loves him for his great attitude. It was agent advice, and maybe that advice wasn't as great as some thought.
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Jordan Hamilton calls out Rick Barnes - CBSSports.com
"(Barnes) called some teams and said that I probably wasn’t coachable and things like that. But I feel like I can be coachable," Jordan Hamilton told Chris Tomasson last night, adding, "'a lot of people thought I might go in the lottery. I’m going to prove people wrong. It doesn’t end on draft night."
Ouch. You hate to have those kind of things come back on you. Can you imagine a player saying that about Calipari?
- Dick Vitale breaks down the 2011 NBA draft - ESPN
- SEC: NBA drafts 9 league players; Cohen suit update :: John Clay’s Sidelines
- Kentucky NBA draft notes :: Vaught'sViews.com
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So who becomes the favorite NBA team for UK? : The Kentucky Kernel
All of them? -
Everything Kentucky: Confused Cat Fan!
With another draft night done, and some more Kentucky Wildcats entering the NBA, I have really become confused. As a Kentucky Wildcat fan , my problem is a really good one to have. Who should I pull for in the NBA? The former CATS representing so many different teams, I am having a very hard time deciding on what jersey to buy this year, and who I want to "really" root for next season.
You're right, Sam, that is a really good problem to have.
I say, save your pennies and buy one of each. But wait until after the NBA lockout is over.
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Six good players not drafted in the NBA :: ProBasketballTalk
My favorite of these is David Lighty. I'm not sure how he dropped out of the draft altogether.