Kentucky Wildcats Mock Draft Potential and a Humble Group of Mark “Stoops Troops”

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

Chad Ford seems to believe this is the year where John Calipari has his first “one and done” player slip out of the First Round of the upcoming NBA Draft. And no, that title won’t rest with Nerlens Noel who is still favored to be the #1 Overall selection despite not being able to play until this Decemeber while recovering from ACL surgery.

"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 UK’s former center is by no means a sure thing to be chosen 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.”Ford put the odds of Noel going with the top pick at “60 to 65 percent.”"

But of Archie Goodwin Mr. Ford isn’t as sold on his First Round chances.

"Goodwin could be hanging around awhile. The former UK guard didn’t win anyone over with his performance at the draft combine. Sports Illustrated even listed him in its “Losers” category following the event.Probably the biggest question mark surrounding the 6-foot-5 guard is his poor outside shooting (26.6 percent from three-point range last season). His only appearance in any of Ford’s four mock drafts came in the second version, which was originally posted May 8.Goodwin went No. 30 to the Suns in that mock.Ford didn’t dismiss the possibility that Goodwin would be selected in the first round, which would include a guaranteed contract. But it’s more likely he’ll fall to the second round.”He could go in the first. It takes one team,” Ford said. “He’s the youngest or one of the youngest players in the draft. John Calipari is working the phones on his behalf. He’s just a big project and few teams late in the first have the taste for that.”In the past three drafts, nine UK freshmen have decided to go to the NBA after just one season in Lexington. If Goodwin drops to the second round, he would be the first of Calipari’s one-and-done players to do so.”He clearly should’ve returned to school,” Ford said."

Often times it takes seeing what some are grateful to have to see what you take advantage and this was exactly the case for Kentucky Wildcats Senior LB Avery Williamson as well as Jonathan George and Kevin Mitchell.  The trio was among those on the team trip to Africa this past week or so ago and the best description I’ve seen for the impact came straight from Williamson’s mouth, “humbling.”  For Avery, the poverty and oppression we see on TV pales in comparison to actually being present and serving in those circumstances.  The basics we have here are considered opulent over there.  From Keith Taylor, Sports Editor for the Winchester Sun, we have a little break down of the trip from the trio.

"“It makes you appreciate what you got,” he said Thursday. “Most people over there don’t have much at all. When I look back, I always have food in my refrigerator and freezer too that I don’t feel like cooking sometimes. But when I thought I didn’t have any food and felt broke, but looked in my freezer and got some food out and cooked it and had a good meal that night. It just makes you appreciate what you got. I really want to help those people out some more.”The trio handed out food, clothes and other necessities during the visit.“The main thing that we were doing was handing out food,” he said. “The first day we gave out food to this whole community and we helped tarp up these two houses for rainy season. The next day we handed out food at this church for 20 or so people. I didn’t even know we were going to a prison but then they told us it was a prison and I was like, ‘Really? A prison. Why are we going to a prison?’ The living conditions are bad. There are concrete floors and some of the people are innocent and they are holding them until they can get a court date set. We were just trying to help those people out and spread the good word.”Williamson was “really surprised” by the living conditions that existed in the region.“You see it on TV but until you really see it in person it starts to hit you,” he said. “You start thinking about it and like, ‘I could not live like this.’ That is how those people live out their lives and they are accustomed to it. It just really hit me that people don’t even have a house to live in and they sleep on mud floors the size of my kitchen.”During the visit, Williamson became acquainted with his driver, Ageyno and others.“I gave him a lot of my UK gear when I left,” he said. “I heard he and his brother were sharing clothes so I wanted to help him out and gave him some clothes. I also gave this one kid Girma, he was with us a couple of days throughout the trip and I gave him a bunch of clothes and stuff, too. I talked to some of them on Facebook, too. It is cool to keep in contact with them.”Williamson was selected for the trip in February, which came as a surprise. He added that he was “interested” but has become more involved in missions work since experiencing it first hand. Williamson admitted that he was “homesick” when he first arrived, but developed a different mind set after the first 24 hours.“After being over there for a week, I wasn’t ready to come back home,” he said.The hardest part for Williamson was seeing children beg for money and food.“That was the toughest part,” he said. “I think the second day we were there these two kids came up they were probably five years old and were begging me for money and stuff. I didn’t have anything to give to them. It hurt me to see a kid that was five years old begging for money. I was still relying on my parents then. It just makes you really sad to see kids begging on the streets by themselves.”"

And judging by the most recent Vegas odds on a stretch of the his Kentucky Wildcats football games this upcoming season, that attitude could be the theme of that stretch. The Golden Nugget Casino released early odds for the games versus Louisville, Florida, @ South Carolina, Alabama, @ Georgia, and Tennessee and the odds aren’t great.

"These are the lines for a few select UK football games this year, as set by Golden Nugget in some (really early) Vegas odds.Louisville: +14Florida: +20at South Carolina: +23.5Alabama: +30at Georgia: +29Tennessee: +7.5That four-game stretch of UL-UF-USC-BAMA in the early going is going to be brutal for the Cats (a combined 87.5-point underdog).UK may not win any of them, but I think it’s important to be competitive in at least two. It may not change their record, but for this year’s team it helps maintain confidence heading into the back end of the schedule (where ground can be made up with more winnable games) and it helps maintain confidence for future recruits (because, while it may not be a W, they get to see UK at least hang in there with these big programs in Stoops’ first year)."