The Kentucky Wildcats have been a hotbed for top NBA talent over the last decade.
Players like Devin Booker and Anthony Davis made their way through Lexington prior to becoming superstars at the next level. Even before those two, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall helped put Kentucky on the map upon the hiring of John Calipari.
While the current Kentucky team has the potential to make a deep run in March, they don’t necessarily have those first-round prospects that Kentucky has become known for.
That might change with Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno committed for next season. Still, for now, no Kentucky player is expected to be taken in the first round this year, potentially snapping a streak dating back to 2010.
Now, they do have some players that could be drafted and certainly have a few that are seeing their stock rise. Kentucky had five players listed in ESPN’s updated top-100 players ranking for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Here’s the breakdown.
Perhaps the most notable one here is Otega Oweh, a junior who’s leading Kentucky in scoring and has reached double figures in every game. That apparently isn’t enough to put him in draftable range just yet. A potential senior Otega Oweh could easily be the best player on a 2025-26 Kentucky roster that already has a world of potential, especially if sophomore center Brandon Garrison returns to join Moreno, Johnson, Travis Perry, Trent Noah, and Acaden Lewis.
This team has talented players, but many of them, with the addition of Mark Pope upon the exodus of Calipari, are transfers that have been in the college system for a few years.
That hurts their stock at the NBA level, typically, as most scouts are looking for high-flying talent that can make a scene and develop into superstars.
It’s worth noting that there’s a chance Kentucky technically extends its first-round streak this year if Aodu Thiero continues to ball out at Arkansas. The former Cat is ranked No. 23 at ESPN, so he could be a first-round selection this year.
While Kentucky may not have that and currently doesn’t have anyone within the top 59 (there are only 59 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft), they do have a roster capable of playing at the highest level in college hoops.
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