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Kentucky Basketball: 90 NBA Scouts Attend Pro Day Practice

By Maxwell Ogden

Sep 15, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De Aaron Fox (0) forward Bam Adebayo (3) forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) and guard Malik Monk (5) during Kentucky media day at Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De Aaron Fox (0) forward Bam Adebayo (3) forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) and guard Malik Monk (5) during Kentucky media day at Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2016-17 Kentucky basketball team is garnering an obscene level of hype. The proof: 90 NBA scouts were in attendance for Kentucky’s pro day practice.

John Calipari has created something of an academy for future NBA players. He’s done so by turning the Kentucky basketball program into the premier destination for high school prospects with professional aspirations.

Fresh off of landing what’s been regarded as the No. 1 recruiting class of 2016, Calipari is showing his players exactly why playing for him can be such a wise decision.

Calipari signed five five-star recruits for the 2016-17 season: Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones, and Malik Monk. He also returns a five-star recruit from the 2015 recruiting class: Isaiah Briscoe.

According to Paul Biancardi of ESPN, 90 NBA scouts were in attendance to watch those tantalizing talents at Kentucky’s pro day practice.

https://twitter.com/PaulBiancardi/status/785254540874514432

That’s a testament to just how well Calipari has recruited since coming to Lexington in 2009.

Briscoe was one of the most highly-touted recruits in the class of 2015, but he struggled with his jump shot during his freshman season. He’s an outstanding ball-handler and a defensive force of nature, however, which is why he’s still mentioned in NBA Draft circles.

If Briscoe can even become an average shooter in 2016-17, he’d likely earn his place as a lottery pick next June.

Fox and Monk will join Briscoe in the backcourt, and both could be lottery picks, as well. Fox is widely believed to be one of the Top 10 prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft and Monk is projected as a Top 20 selection.

Adebayo could be Kentucky’s Top 5 pick in 2017 and both Gabriel and Killeya-Jones have the potential to rise up draft boards this coming season.

Regardless of what transpires in 2016-17, it’s clear that NBA scouts value Calipari’s ability to develop talent.  With four players on the NBA Draft radar and two others with the potential to be there, Kentucky basketball will be must-see TV this season.

Must Read: Isaiah Briscoe is embracing a leadership role

Big Blue Nation may have another winner on its hands.

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