NEW YORK — Kentucky may have missed out on Marques Bolden on Thursday, but there was plenty of other good news for Big Blue Nation.
Former Wildcats Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) and Devin Booker (Phoenix) were both named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento) made the Second Team.
Towns, the Piscataway, N.J., native, had already been unanimously named the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Duke had two players on the teams, with Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia) on the First Team and Justise Winslow (Miami) on the second.
The awards capped an eventful week for Kentucky guys in the NBA. Towns, Booker and Cauley-Stein all represented their teams Tuesday night in the NBA Draft lottery, where the 76ers earned the No. 1 pick in the June 23rd NBA Draft. Of the five player-reps, Kentucky had three of them.
“It speaks more to our character than our talent,” Towns said at the Lottery. “You just don’t get up here by talent alone, you get up here by character. And it just speaks to people that Coach Cal recruits.”
“It’s just cool, especially since we all played together,” Cauley-Stein added. “It wasn’t like he played two years ago, I played a year ago, the other dude played five years ago. We were a team, so it’s just cool seeing us up here and making our strides in the NBA.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari is on record saying he would like to see half of the NBA All-Star Game comprised of former Kentucky guys.
“It could happen,” Cauley-Stein said. “It could happen, there’s that many Kentucky players, it could happen.”
Projected lottery picks Jamal Murray and Skal Labissiere were both at the Draft Lottery and Cauley-Stein said he told both former Kentucky guys to enjoy it.
“This is nothing,” he said. “Right here is nothing. The real nerves kick in when the Draft comes, so this is just fun.”
As for Marcus Lee, who has until May 25 to withdraw from the NBA Draft but has already withdrawn from several workouts, Cauley-Stein also had some advice.
“I haven’t spoken to him, but it’s more if you’re ready to go, go,” Cauley-Stein said. “But if you’re having second thoughts about it, don’t gamble it.”
As for Isaiah Briscoe, who also has until May 25 to decide, Towns said he’s spoken to him.
“He’s enjoying the process and that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “You gotta enjoy the process and use this time wisely.”
NKentucky may have missed out on Marques Bolden on Thursday, but there was plenty of other good news for Big Blue Nation.
