Kentucky

Kentucky basketball 2024 NBA mock drafts: Where are Wildcats players projected to be picked?

Published

2 years ago

May 12, 2024

Kentucky basketball 2024 NBA mock drafts: Where are Wildcats players projected to be picked?

The order has been set for the 2024 NBA Draft, with the draft lottery taking place on Sunday. And, despite Kentucky basketball’s early exit from the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the draft could still prove fruitful for several Wildcats.

While the Wildcats likely don’t have a player in the early contention for the No. 1 overall pick ― which goes to the Atlanta Hawks, despite having the second-lowest odds to land it ― it could be a good June 26 for UK fans watching the action unfold at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

REQUIRED READING: Former Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks on ending at Kentucky and leaving for Arkansas

A mock draft published right after the lottery show on Sunday by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo has two Kentucky players picked in the top four, while USA TODAY’s For the Win writer Bryan Kalbrosky has three Wildcats picked in the lottery.

Australian big man Alex Sarr is the early favorite to go No. 1 overall early in the process. Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard is projected to go No. 3 in a couple of mock drafts, while teammate Rob Dillingham joins him in Texas with the San Antonio Spurs at No. 4 in an ESPN mock draft and even as high as No. 3 in another.

Here’s a look at where Kentucky players are expected to be selected in the 2024 NBA Draft:

Kentucky basketball 2024 NBA mock draft

ESPN and USA TODAY have Sheppard landing with an up-and-coming young team in the Houston Rockets. The Rockets drew the No. 3 pick despite finishing the season at 41-41, with a late-season run getting them into contention for a potential NBA play-in game.

Houston has a strong young nucleus led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets could emphasize adding some shooting for their young nucleus this offseason, which makes Sheppard the perfect fit.

The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 53.6% field goal shooting and 52.1% from 3-point range, earning USBWA and NABC Freshman of the Year honors.

“The Rockets turned the page on their rebuild by hiring coach Ime Udoka and making a splash in free agency last summer. Houston could look at plug-and-play options with this pick considering the youthful roster construction. Shooting will likely be a priority this summer, and the dynamic shot-making versatility of Sheppard — who made over 50% of his 3s this season — could be attractive with this pick, along with his feel for the game and defensive instincts. Expect Donovan Clingan to get a look here as well if the front office feels he can play heavy minutes alongside Alperen Sengun in a multi-big men lineups.” — Givony

Mock drafts

At 6-foot-3, Dillingham could be undersized for the NBA. But SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell still has him going as high as No. 3 to the Houston Rockets after a strong freshman season. Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 47.5% shooting from the field and 44.4% shooting from 3-point range. He would also be a good addition to a young team seeking a quick turnaround.

“Dillingham is an impossibly shifty shot creator for himself and others thanks to his deep shooting range, soft touch, and tremendous vision as a passer. The 6’2 guard has the best handle in the class with the ability to link dribble-crossovers, change direction, and get off a good look at the rim against bigger defenders. He’s the rare guard prospect whose shooting ability feels equally dangerous off the dribble and off the catch: Dillingham can punish unders with deep pull-ups, and also has a fantastic feel for relocating around the three-point line to knock down spot-ups.”

Mock drafts

REQUIRED READING: Former Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks on ending at Kentucky and leaving for Arkansas

ESPN and FTW also agree that Justin Edwards was the final Kentucky player selected in the first round. The 6-foot-7 forward is projected to the Washington Wizards at No. 26. Edwards averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman, not quite living up to his billing as the No. 3 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankiings.

“Edwards did not have the season many expected at Kentucky but is still worthy of consideration in this area of the draft at 6-7 with some perimeter shooting acumen and upside to grow into after one season in college. The Wizards could look to bolster their wing depth, which would make Edwards a candidate to get drafted late in the first round.” — Givony

Mock drafts

ESPN: No. 26 to the Washington Wizards
USA Today FTW: No. 26 to the Washington Wizards
The Athletic: No. 47 (second round) to the Orlando Magic
Yahoo Sports: No. 48 (second round) to the Orlando Magic
The Ringer: No. 53 (second round) to the Detroit Pistons

Of the six previously mentioned mocks, only The Athletic and NBA Draft Net have Kentucky senior guard Antonio Reeves being picked. The NBA draft-dedicated site has Reeves going No. 38 to the New York Knicks, while The Athletic author Sam Vecenie has Reeves selected as the No. 44 overall pick, going off the board in the second round to the Houston Rockets. Reeves averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 51.2% shooting and 44.7% shooting from 3.

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Kentucky

Kentucky mother, daughter turn down $26 million offer for their land: “It’s priceless”

Published

10 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Kentucky mother, daughter turn down million offer for their land: “It’s priceless”

Kentucky mother, daughter turn down $26 million offer for their land: “It’s priceless” – CBS News

Watch CBS News

A mother and daughter in Kentucky have turned down a $26 million offer for their land. The offer came from an unnamed tech company wanting to build a data center. CBS News’ Jared Ochacher spoke with the family.

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Kentucky

Key dates and a possible sneak peek for Kentucky Basketball fans

Published

23 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Key dates and a possible sneak peek for Kentucky Basketball fans

During his recent radio show, Pope offered a sobering reality check regarding the timeline for the rest of his staff overhaul.

“We’re going through a little bit of a hiring process that will be ongoing—probably for the next six weeks,” Pope explained. “We could have some closure on some things quickly, but I can’t really talk in detail about anything until it gets through the whole HR process.”

In a vacuum, a six-week HR timeline is standard corporate procedure. But in the modern landscape of college basketball, that timeline is a massive hurdle because of the newly accelerated Transfer Portal window instituted by the NCAA.

The 15-Day Transfer Portal window

Players cannot officially enter their names into the Transfer Portal until April 7th. However, anyone paying attention knows that backdoor deals are already being orchestrated, and agents are prematurely announcing their clients’ intentions to leave. It is an unregulated mess, but it is the reality of the sport.

That April 7th opening is the first major date to circle on your calendar.

Once the portal opens, it remains active for exactly 15 days. When that window slams shut, no new names can enter. There are no graduate exemptions or special loopholes for late decisions. If a player plans on transferring, they must formally notify their current school before that 15-day window expires on April 21st at 11:59 PM. If they miss the deadline, they are stuck.

Mark Pope has to have his staff aligned, his evaluations complete, and his recruiting pitches perfected before that window opens. It is indeed a very short clock as the coaching staff looks to change drastically.

Once the dust from the transfer portal finally settles, the new-look Wildcats will quickly hit the floor.

Official mid-June practices will tip off the summer schedule, but Pope recently hinted that an international offseason trip is currently in the works. Per NCAA rules, college basketball programs are only allowed to take these foreign exhibition tours once every four years.

If the trip gets finalized, BBN will get a highly anticipated, early look at this brand-new roster competing against actual opponents long before Big Blue Madness in the fall.

Needless to say, it is going to be an incredibly busy, high-stakes few months in Lexington.

Any guesses on where Pope and company plan on going? And do you like the new Transfer Portal window?

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Kentucky

Kentucky optometry board faces pushback on proposed reforms

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky optometry board faces pushback on proposed reforms

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Kentucky’s optometry board is trying to address a scandal after years of issuing waivers for optometry graduates who couldn’t pass their national exams.

The board reversed course earlier this year. But at a public hearing on the new rules, the national testing group said the reforms still carve out loopholes.

Nevada and New Hampshire say they will not accept the testing exceptions Kentucky has proposed and won’t recognize Kentucky optometry licenses as equivalent to their own.

21 Kentucky optometrists have been under scrutiny.

At Wednesday’s public hearing, the state gave the public under 15 minutes to make their case.

Public voices opposition at brief hearing

In the conference room of a Holiday Inn Express, two members of the public voiced their opposition to Kentucky’s proposed reforms. Both are from the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.

“The KBOE has not taken the straightforward and obvious path to ensure public safety,” NBEO Secretary/Treasurer Daniel Taylor said.

“The Kentucky optometry board has lost its way, putting patient safety at risk and placing a lower priority on public health than on upholding competency standards,” said NBEO Executive Director Jill Bryant.

Kentucky reversed itself after a series of reports about optometrists who were granted licenses with waivers. Some didn’t pass a single part of the national exams.

In February, the state said optometrists with these waivers would have to stop performing laser procedures and would be dropping a Canadian substitute test. But it did not prohibit these doctors from practicing and proposed other alternative tests.

Daniel Taylor said these tests have been standardized across the country for a simple reason.

“If you were to see an optometrist in Kentucky, and then go across the border and see an optometrist in another state or move to another state, you would have to check with the local standards to see what those levels of quality were,” Taylor said.

No one else spoke. The optometry board did not respond, saying it will file its response as part of the process, taking this feedback into consideration.

A letter from NBEO to the state revealed the group had questioned how 21 optometrists had gotten their licenses based on their lack of testing records.

The state board denied WAVE’s records request for another letter NBEO sent to the board in the fall. The attorney general’s office is currently reviewing our appeal.

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