Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari believes five to seven of his players will declare for the 2015 NBA draft, including Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein and the Harrison brothers. Out of all Calipari's players expected to declare, Towns is projected to be the first Wildcat off the board.
Kentucky's bid for perfection ended in Saturday's Final Four with a 71-64 loss to Wisconsin. According to what Calipari told USA Today, Kentucky fans should expect - unlike this season, when four key players returned - a radically different look for next year's team. He said he expected at least five players to declare for the draft, with seven being a "distinct possibility." Calipari said Towns, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Cauley-Stein and Lyles were all likely gone after the season, and Dakari Johnson and Devin Booker were both still considering declaring for the draft.
Calipari added, "I hope they surprise me like they did last year."
Towns, Caulie-Stein, Lyles and Booker are expected to be first-round picks if they declare this year. Towns is viewed as a top three pick, Cauley-Stein could be a top 10 pick and Lyles and Booker are likely a mid-to-late first-rounders. The Harrisons are expected to go in the 30, according to USA Today.
Towns has drawn the most interest from teams, with some NBA draft experts arguing the freshman has a small chance of supplanting Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor for the top pick. Whereas Okafor is considered a much more polished scorer and a more NBA-ready prospect, Towns is considered to be a superior defender with greater upside. He's reportedly piqued the interest of the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
College athletes have until April 29 to declare for the NBA draft, which is on June 26.
