The Final Kentucky Wildcat NBA Pre-Draft Analysis

A little over 24 hours from now John Wall will be named the #1 draft pick to the Wizards and will become rich beyond his wildest dreams. The fact that Wall will be the top guy has been no secret ever since the Wizards won the lottery. He is already an instant celebrity in the DC area, he signed a record shoe deal with Reebok (?) and has the skill set to become a premier point guard in the League. Now the question is how long until the John Wall/Stephen Strasburg buddy cop movie comes out. I would pay top dollar to see that.

What about the rest of the Cats? Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton are all set to go in the first round. Or are they? Let's look at some draft projections:

• NBAdraft.net: Wall #1 to the Wiz; Boogie at #5 to the Kings; PPat #12 to the Griz; Daniel Orton #19 to the C's; Eric Bledsoe #28 to the Griz. Interesting to see Patterson and Bledsoe going to the Grizzlies. A good young team that would fit both prospects well.
• Draftexpress.com: Wall #1 to the Wiz; Boogie #5 to the Kings; PPat #13 to the Raptors; Eric Bledsoe #19 to the Celtics; Daniel Orton #21 to the Thunder. I really hope Patterson does not end up in the No Man's Land that is Toronto. Interesting prospect for Orton to be on THE young and up and coming team that is OKC. They were missing a big man to counter the Lakers in the playoffs. That is an ideal situation for him in my estimation.
• Collegehoops.net: Wall #1; Boogie #4 to the TWolves; Eric Bledsoe #14 to the Rockets; Patterson #16 to the TWolves; Daniel Orton #17 to the Bulls. I was surprised at this mock draft by seeing Bledsoe so high and Patterson so low. This seems to go against the grain and the reporting as Patterson has been impressive in work outs and many analysts see him going in the top 15. Although it would be good for Cousins to have a familiar friend on the team with him.
• Hoopshype.com: Wall #1 again!; Boogie #5 to the Kings; Patterson to the Raptors at #13; Eric Bledsoe #19 to the C's; Daniel Orton #21 to the Thunder.

It seems to me that most of these projections are in agreement that Cousins is going in the 4-5 range. He could be higher if it wasn't for that nagging question about his attitude, behavior, maturity, etc... A GM is either going to be a dope for passing on him or a dope for taking him. Cousins is easily the most intriguing and puzzling prospect in the draft.

Patterson is most likely landing in the top 15. There is an outside shot that he ends up at #10 with the Pacers. GM Larry Bird is into character guys and there is no player in the draft with a higher caliber character than Pat. His talent level is being overlooked. Whoever lands Patterson is going to land a gold mine.

Orton and Bledsoe seem to be locks for the first round. It would be advantageous to both players for them to land on young teams rather than established teams. They could get lost in the shuffle on a team like Boston. I feel like they benefit more if they go to younger teams, not necessarily bad teams, but young, talented teams looking for some pieces to add. Memphis and Oklahoma City would be prime spots for both.

Any way you look at it, it is going to a big day for the University of Kentucky. The draft will add fuel to the fire as far as prospects are concerned. It already seems like everybody wants to be Wildcat.