We All Expected It But Were Hoping For Different News: John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton And Patrick Patterson Hear NBA Calling.

Five Kentucky basketball players announce for NBA draft
By Brett Dawson

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari officially has another rebuilding job on his hands.

Five Wildcats with remaining eligibility – freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton and junior Patrick Patterson – will declare for the NBA Draft, UK announced on Wednesday.

UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said he wasn't aware if any of the Cats had signed with agents, but all five players are projected as potential first-round picks, and all five are expected to remain in the draft.

Players have until May 8 to withdraw from the draft if they don't sign with an agent.

“I've spoken with all five guys concerning the NBA and have encouraged them to put their names in the draft,” Calipari said in a release. “They've all met individually with our compliance office to make sure they have a full understanding of eligibility rules and academic responsibilities. I'm so proud of these five young men, with everything they did for us on the court and the way they represented us off of it.”

ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford ranks all five Cats as top 20 prospects in the June draft. Ford ranks Wall as the No. 1 prospect, followed by Cousins at No. 4, Patterson at No. 14, Bledsoe at No. 15 and Orton at No. 18.

“It's extremely unusual for four freshmen from the same team to have this opportunity, but it's my job as a coach to prepare these young men for such opportunities,” Calipari said in a release.