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It’s hard to argue there’s no better NBA training ground than the University of Kentucky.
Since John Calipari took over as head coach of the Wildcats in 2009, at least one player he coached in Lexington has played on every NBA franchise, and 38 have been drafted.
Bam Adebayo who played for Kentucky in the 2016-17 season, told Kyle Tucker of the Athletic that no school compares when it comes to presence in the NBA than Kentucky.
“We’re a family,” Adebayo told Tucker. “Oh, yeah, because we got other colleges—I ain’t gonna say no names—thinking they can compete with us in terms of their presence. Just look around, though. Like, who’s playing right now? Pick a game, any game, and I bet we got somebody out there.”
As Tucker points out, the next closest school to Kentucky in draft picks since 2009 is Duke with 24. However it’s safe to say with presence on nearly every NBA squad and a handful of the game’s elite players like Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, John Wall and Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky is the gold standard when it comes to development.
In 2019, Adebayo will look to continue on what’s been a strong first two years in the NBA with the Miami Heat alongside new teammate and fellow Wildcat Tyler Herro.