Former Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA: Nerlens Noel holds steady as number one pick
May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
A draft analyst has recently stated that Kentucky Wildcat, Nerlens Noel, is holding the spot to be the number one overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Despite Nerlens Noel’s torn ACL, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still leaning on taking him as the number one overall selection in the draft, which takes place on June 27. On the other hand, former teammate Archie Goodwin is slipping in the draft stocks. Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin are looking at two very different fates in the lead-up to this month’s NBA Draft.
ESPN analyst Chad Ford released the fourth version of his mock draft this week, and Noel held the No. 1 spot for the fourth time. Goodwin was not listed among the first 30 picks. While Noel has been a fixture at the top of Ford’s “Big Board,” the draft analyst said that UK’s former center is by no means a sure thing to be chosen at No. 1. Georgetown’s Otto Porter and Maryland’s Alex Len are two other players the Cavs are contemplating with their pick, according to Ford.
“The Cavs, like most teams, have a process they go through,” Ford told the Herald-Leader. “At this stage, they are bringing players in for interviews, going over the medicals and if healthy, having players work out. Where the call is close between prospects, this can be the final determining factor.
“I think they like Noel, but I don’t get the sense from them at all that this is a done deal. If someone else wows them, or if there are more concerns about Noel’s recovery, they could go in a different direction.”
So far, according to Ford, the odds that Nerlens Noel gets selected as the number one pick is “60 to 65 percent.” Nerlens is currently 214 pounds, which is more than how he was when he was first weighed in at 206 pounds. The light frame could be one of the very reasons why the Cavaliers pass up on Nerlens. At one point in the season, Noel weighed around 228 pounds. If Noel was to gain an extra ten pounds from his previous 228, he would still be considered one of the thinner centers in the NBA. If Nerlens Noel doesn’t get selected as number one, he won’t be available any much longer. Ford said the Orlando Magic have expressed interest with the No. 2 pick, and Charlotte and Phoenix are also interested at the No. 4 and 5 spots, respectively.
Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin will become the 10th and 11th one-and-done players at Kentucky since John Calipari became head coach. The list of one-and-done players that went in the first round in the NBA draft includes John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, Enes Kanter, Brandon Knight, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague. Archie Goodwin’s draft stock is slipping and he could very well miss being drafted in the first round to join the list of players that were just included. The bright side of things is if Archie Goodwin falls into the late first round, he could go to a very good team where he can spend some time developing his game and learning from really good players.