After all, you’ll be able to’t spell Massive Blue Nation with out an “N,” a “B” and an “A.” Kentucky is virtually synonymous with the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.

Kentucky’s program shouldn’t be shy about associating itself with the NBA. Be it placing photos of ex-Cats now within the NBA on the Rupp Area video boards earlier than every recreation. Or staging a televised “Professional Day” every preseason. Or calling consideration in 2021-22 to John Calipari’s first 12 seasons as coach leading to 43 gamers drafted, 32 within the first spherical and 21 as lottery picks.

Talking from the NBA’s Elite Camp Monday, Kellan Grady saluted this connection as a key to recruiting prime prospects.

“It was actually an element, I believe, in everybody’s choice to go to Kentucky,” Grady mentioned earlier than placing that in perspective. “That’s a part of it, however finally I needed to be a part of the custom and play in entrance of nice followers at Rupp Area and compete within the SEC and play for Coach Calipari.”

The web site Sidelines.io not too long ago posted that the 113 gamers in NBA historical past who beforehand wore Kentucky jerseys are essentially the most from anyone college. UCLA is second with 93 and Louisville is eighth with 57.

That would appear influential within the recruiting course of.

“It was an enormous issue,” Keion Brooks mentioned. “Kentucky is sort of like a springboard to the NBA. …

“I believe it performs a giant half in getting recruits. You recognize if Kentucky is considering you and also you’re considering going there, I used to be fairly certain you’ve acquired aspirations of being a NBA participant. You don’t go there when you don’t.”

Shaedon Sharpe took this to an excessive when he entered this 12 months’s NBA Draft after solely training with the UK crew as a late-arriving freshman this previous season.

Bobby Marks, ESPN’s NBA entrance workplace insider, questioned a university program advertising and marketing itself as a coaching floor for the skilled degree. “Are we operating a NBA Academy?” he mentioned. “Or are we attempting to win a nationwide championship?”

TyTy Washington mentioned his recruiting choice broke all the way down to the “finest match,” which he outlined as a spot the place he wouldn’t have to vary his taking part in model. He additionally cited the “coach’s résumé,” which included the observe document of manufacturing professional gamers.

After all, you could possibly say Johnny Juzang doubled down on this college-NBA connection. He performed for Kentucky and UCLA. He mentioned he benefited from taking part in for each Calipari and UCLA Coach Mick Cronin.

“I believe you simply need to go to a program the place the coach goes to develop you and be invested in you,” he mentioned. Taking part in for Kentucky, UCLA, North Carolina, Duke or Kansas (the highest 5 applications on the Sidelines.io listing for producing NBA gamers all time) may be incidental to a professional profession.

“It’s good to be on the massive stage,” Juzang mentioned, “however these (NBA) scouts, they discover guys from in all places. So, so long as you’re turning into the perfect participant you may be, that’s the principle factor.”

‘Brief pattern measurement’

Final week noticed the NBA stage a G League Elite Camp after which its annual Mix in Chicago. It appeared affordable to contemplate each an development by way of a participant’s NBA Draft profile.

Keion Brooks and Kellan Grady participated within the Elite Camp. Neither was among the many gamers subsequently invited to the Mix.

When requested Monday how he would really feel being invited to the Mix, Brooks mentioned, “I believe that might be one thing that’s actually, actually good. Nevertheless it’s not an end-all, be-all. It’s a brief pattern measurement of who you might be as a participant. … In case you get a promotion or not, that’s not the tip of your story.”

Shot adjustment

Three-point pictures from the baseline (aka “nook threes”) are a famous offensive weapon.

As repeatedly because it’s shot, it is perhaps shocking that the nook three was a part of the adjustment going from school basketball to the NBA Draft course of, Kellan Grady mentioned. That’s as a result of the three-point line is nearer to the baseline and sideline within the NBA.

“There’s a bunch of individuals, myself included, that went out of bounds twice at this time,” he mentioned of Monday’s scrimmage recreation within the Elite Camp.

This smaller house had been famous in multiple of his exercises for NBA groups the earlier week, mentioned Grady, who added, “it’s one thing to be aware of.”

‘Extraordinarily completely happy’

Walker Kessler transferred from North Carolina to Auburn final 12 months. Each Kessler and his former college had good seasons.

Kessler, who participated within the NBA Mix, averaged the second-most blocks in Division I: 4.56 per recreation.

And UNC superior to the nationwide championship recreation.

When requested how he felt concerning the Tar Heels thriving in his absence, Kessler mentioned, “I used to be extraordinarily completely happy. These have been my guys.”

‘I felt dangerous’

UK followers would possibly recall that Walker Kessler set the choose that leveled Sahvir Wheeler when Kentucky performed at Auburn final season.

“I felt dangerous,” he mentioned when requested concerning the choose. “That was a tough, laborious display.”

Earlier within the season, Wheeler injured his neck operating blindly right into a display at LSU.

Was setting picks on Wheeler a part of the sport plan? “By no means,” Kessler mentioned. “I’m a screen-setter. So, I simply noticed my man was coming down in transition, so I set that display.”

Did Kessler hear a UK participant attempt to warn Wheeler by calling out the upcoming display?

“Probably not,” Kessler mentioned with a hearty chuckle.

Social justice champions

Former UK standout Karl-Anthony Cities is one in every of 5 finalists for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, the NBA introduced Monday.

The opposite finalists are Reggie Bullock (Dallas), Jrue Vacation (Milwaukee), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis) and Fred VanVleet (Toronto).

The award acknowledges the 12 months’s most impactful social justice advocates.

After his mom, Jacqueline Cities, died of COVID, Cities started working to create larger well being fairness and schooling. He labored with the NBA on a public service announcement concerning vaccines and helped present 100 COVID testing kits distributed to greater than 50 faculties in his native New Jersey and Minnesota.

Cities additionally donated $20,000 to the George Floyd Basis and $30,000 to the Vera Institute of Justice (which works to finish the overcriminalization and mass incarceration of individuals of coloration, immigrants and the poor).

In help of gender fairness and larger sports activities alternatives for ladies, Cities made a donation to Kean College.

Cities additionally serves on the board of the Nationwide Basketball Social Justice Coalition.

The winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award will probably be introduced throughout a TNT telecast of a Western Convention finals recreation. The NBA will donate $100,000 to the social justice group chosen by the winner.

The opposite 4 finalists will obtain $25,000 donations to the group of their selecting.

Belated completely happy birthday

To Keith Bogans. He turned 42 on Might 12. … To Nate Sestina. He turned 25 on Might 12. … To Quade Inexperienced. He turned 24 on Might 12. … To Kevin Grevey. He turned 69 on Might 12. … To former Missouri coach Kim Anderson. He turned 67 on Might 12. … To Merion Haskins. He turned 67 on Might 13. … To Valerie Nonetheless. She turned 61 on Might 14. … To John Adams. He turned 79 on Might 15. … To SEC Community analyst Pat Bradley. He turned 46 on Might 16. … To former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson. He turned 59 on Might 17. … To LSU Coach Kim Mulkey. She turned 60 on Might 17. … To Ron Mercer. He turned 46 on Might 18.

Pleased birthday

To Enes Kanter Freedom. He turned 30 on Friday. … To Jamaal Magloire. He turned 44 on Saturday. … To Rob Lock. He turns 56 on Sunday. … To former Florida standout Keyontae Johnson. He turns 23 on Tuesday. … To Cedric Jenkins. He turns 56 on Wednesday.

This story was initially printed Might 21, 2022 6:00 AM.