The NBA Draft: For the Big Blue Nation, It’s Fantastic!

At the end of John Calipari’s first season in Lexington, five players from the University of Kentucky were drafted in the NBA’s first round.  Coach Cal called it the “biggest day in the history of Kentucky Basketball.” Hyperbole? Certainly. But don’t be mistaken. That night set in motion a lot of the good things that the Big Blue Nation are currently enjoying. What Calipari was articulating, in his carnival sideshow barker kind of a way, was that the night with a record number of Wildcats taken in the NBA Draft’s first round would help mold the UK Basketball brand, in addition to on court success.

Since the days of Adolph Rupp and his Fiddlin Five and his Runts, Kentucky Basketball has been one college basketball’s bluebloods.  Few programs can match the Wildcats’ on court success and even fewer fan bases can compete with the fervent support and fanaticism of the Big Blue Nation. What hasn’t always been the case, is that the Kentucky brand has been successful, but bland, almost to the point of being too corporate.  A lot of success, but not a lot of the wild and crazy personalities that have filtered through college basketball over the last few decades.  Even with his returning the program to its lost glory, former head coach Rick Pitino (despite his Armani suits), didn’t quite have the buzz.

Enter John Calipari.

He’s spoken about UK Basketball not moving the needle because UK is the needle. He’s said that UK Basketball is college basketball.  And on the eve of another NBA Draft, it’s getting harder and harder to say that he’s not right, at least partially.  As James Young and Julius Randle prepare to realize their dreams of playing in the NBA, they’re leaving behind a program that may be in better shape than when they stepped on campus a year ago. There’s another class of highly touted freshmen coming in and, in a rare event, they will be joined by returning stars from the 2014 national runner-up team.  As Super Cat Fan Rene’ Cornette simply stated, “Succeed and Proceed.”

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

From being recruited to play at Kentucky, to succeeding on and off the court at Kentucky (check the team APR), to proceeding to the NBA or graduating with a degree, Calipari has set up a system that is a win/win. A win for the players and a win for the team and the university.  Even though a recent ESPN poll stated otherwise, Calipari has been a master at developing his players and getting them ready for the draft/NBA.  And it’s not just been the stars. Would Josh Harrellson, DeAndre Liggins or Darius Miller have been drafted while playing for a different coach? Tough to say, but it’s easier to state that Cal has done well by all his players.

And Calipari has turned the NBA Draft into Must See TV for the Big Blue Nation. From five first rounders, to the first two picks of the draft, every one of the drafts since Calipari’s arrival have had a Blue air about them.  Not only is Kentucky dominating in season and on the court, but there’s now a positive buzz year round. Which top high school players are going to pick Kentucky? How is Kentucky’s season going? Where are former Kentucky players going to be drafted? If the University of Kentucky isn’t college basketball’s needle, then who is? Either way, for members of the Big Blue Nation, the NBA Draft really is fantastic.