Nerlens Noel is the consensus top pick for the 2013 NBA Draft. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
Let's face it. The talent pool in the 2013 NBA Draft isn't exactly loaded. That shouldn't take away from the fact that another Kentucky player may (and probably should) be drafted No. 1 overall next Thursday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the winners of this year's draft lottery. They've won it a total of three times since 2003 including two of the last three. With those picks, they've selected LeBron James (2003) and Kyrie Irving (2011). That's a pretty impressive track record of not missing with the draft's top pick. Obviously James was a no-brainer at the time, but Irving was questionable and he's blossomed into one of the top point guards in the game.
Will the Cavaliers strike gold again this time around? Will they take Noel with the first overall pick making him the second consecutive Wildcat to go No. 1 overall and third in four years? We'll find out the question to the latter next week, but here's a look at why the Cavaliers should draft Noel, how he would fit in, and if Cleveland chooses poorly... err... otherwise, we'll show you how and where else the Big Flat Top could land.
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have two centers on their roster from last season that would pose any threat of a roadblock for Noel at the No. 1 spot. They have an eight-year veteran in Anderson Varejao and Tyler Zeller who is coming off his first season in the league after four seasons at North Carolina. Varejao is a proven player in the league, averaging 7.7 PPG and 7.6 RPG, and is coming off the best season of his career in which he averaged 14.1 PPG and 14.4 RPG though he appeared in just 25 games. Zeller was a solid backup for Varejao, until he was thrust into a starting position due to an injury that limited Varejao to just those 25 games. Of the 77 games Zeller played in last year, he started 55 of them averaging 5.7 RPG and 7.9 PPG in 26.4 MPG.
Center might not be Cleveland's greatest need, but good centers are a valuable commodity in a game that lacks dominant big men. Drafting Noel would not only be a luxury for the Cavaliers, but it would give them a trading chip to help them add another piece to the puzzle for 2013-14 if they decided to take Noel. Noel, as you know, is coming off knee surgery, and is still rehabbing in Birmingham, Ala. He likely won't be ready to suit up for the team that drafts him until mid season. That's been part of the hesitance in committing to and investing in Noel as well. Part of the luxury in taking Noel, however, would be that the Cavaliers would be deep at the center position while they waited for Noel to get healthy and make his NBA debut.
If the decision comes down to Zeller and Noel, based on track record, the decision shouldn't be that difficult to make. In college, while Zeller had four years of experience to Noel's shortened one season, Noel still had better overall numbers and has a much higher projected ceiling.
It sounds as if Cleveland is intent on taking a big man, however. Cleveland is rumored to have strong interest in Maryland center Alex Len. Len is healthy, could play immediately and is more polished thus far offensively than Noel while still posing a defensive threat.
Noel still bests him in minutes per game, field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and points over their collegiate careers.
There is no clear-cut No. 1 pick this year as there was last season with Anthony Davis, but Noel played an even bigger role than Davis did last season due to less talent around him. Noel still has a way to go offensively, but he can step in day one (once healthy) and hold his ground defensively and be a factor. Cleveland struggled to rebound as a team and finished 22nd and also charted the second lowest number of blocks in the league. With the Cavaliers in the bottom five of +/- differential at -4.0, Noel would affect that figure after the Cavs allowed one of the highest field goal percentages in the restricted area last season.
No. 2 Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic would be awfully lucky to have Nerlens Noel fall to them at No. 2. With only one true center on their current roster in seven-footer Nikola Vucevic, Orlando could be a great opportunity to for Noel to come in and play immediately once healthy. However, the breakout season from Vucevic made him one of just four players in the NBA last season that averaged better than 12 points and 11 rebounds and is likely the future of the center position for Orlando.
Vucevic is one of the bright spots at the center position in the NBA right now, and with plenty of other needs on the roster, maybe Noel doesn't make the most sense, but it would give Orlando a huge, youthful back line of defenders at the rim and a pair of big men who can rebound the basketball if the elected to go that route. He would also become a teammate of former Wildcat Doron Lamb. Where Orlando could gain the most value from having Noel fall to No. 2 is on the market where suitors would line up to trade for the No. 2 pick or for Nerlens' draft rights.
No. 3 Washington Wizards
It would be difficult to imagine a scenario in which Noel slides past No. 3 in the draft, except for when the third team picking (the Washington Wizards) has four centers on its roster already including Nene and Emeka Okafor and many experts believe they will take Georgetown swingman and homegrown talent Otto Porter.
Nene and Okafor, a formidable duo in the front court for the Wizards, are aging, however. Nene is on the backside of his career, though still productive, and Okafor is a year away from free agency. Maybe Noel is the pick here as the Wizards try to continue the momentum they gained upon John Wall's return from injury as they made a very late playoff-push. They could continue as is, draft Noel, allow him to take his time rehabbing and putting on weight, and when he's ready, throw him to the wolves and let him learn on the fly and build up his stamina as they fight for a playoff spot. He would also become the second Kentucky player to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards (Wall - 2010).
Kyle Wiltjer's trip to China is off to a good start.
The rising junior UK forward is playing for the Canadian Development Men's National Team this week in the Four Nations' International Invitational Tournament and the Canadians secured a pair of wins over the weekend. Team Canada took down host nation China on Saturday before facing the United States on Sunday. Canada built a double-digit lead in the third quarter, but Team USA rallied to tie the game at 73 in the final minute.
Enter Wiltjer.
He was fouled with five seconds left and drilled a pair of free throws to give the Canadians an exhibition win over their across-the-border rivals. Wiltjer had a team-high 17 points in the victory.
"It was a great team effort tonight," Wiltjer said. "For me, it is always fun to play against the USA since I live there. The guards did a good job of making good passes down the stretch and finding me when I was open. We got some good calls down the stretch which also helped."
Team Canada moved to 3-0 on Monday by defeating Latvia.
After a travel day on Tuesday, Team Canada will finish off the tournament with three games in three days beginning on Wednesday including a Thursday rematch with Team USA. During the exhibition tournament, Wiltjer is making his case to be included on the 12-man roster Team Canada will bring to the World University Games (July 6-17 in Kazan, Russia).
Before then, Wiltjer is enjoying his trip to China. He is regularly posting updates on Twitter, Instagram and Vine, so make sure you are following him. He might just run into another former Kentucky star.
Kyle Wiltjer ran into UK alumnus Josh Harrellson in China on Friday. (Photo via Instagram)
Kyle Wiltjer, the SEC's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is trying out for the team Canada will bring to the World University Games. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
Kyle Wiltjer will be following in his father's footsteps this summer.
The soon-to-be-junior is currently attending training camp in hopes of making the Canadian Development Men's National Team. He and 15 fellow collegians are currently in Portland, Ore. - Wiltjer's hometown - as Canada prepares for World University Games (July 6 to 17 in Kazan, Russia). Among those also participating are Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State) and Brady Heslip (Baylor).
Wiltjer, even though he was raised in America, is able to compete internationally for Canada because his father, Greg, is a native of the country. The elder Wiltjer played for the Canadian national team in multiple events, including the 1984 Olympics. Participating in training camp, an exhibition series in China and the World University Games - if he makes the cut - could provide Wiltjer quite the springboard as he looks to assume a leadership role on UK's 2013-14 team.
While Wiltjer trains for international competition, his UK teammates will be on campus for an eight-week summer session beginning early this month. Many of them were eligible for the Under-19 United States team, but opted to come to Lexington instead. Check out this story from Mike DeCourcy to read why.
Frank Vogel, second from the left in the top row, was a student manager on the 1996 national championship UK men's basketball team. Vogel is now the head coach of the Indiana Pacers (UK Athletics)
The story below about former UK men's basketball student manager and current Indiana Pacers head Frank Vogel was originally published in July 2011 as part of Cat Scratches' "Where are they now" series. With Vogel coaching in the Eastern Conference finals this week (game four vs. the Miami Heat is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, we are republishing it.
Seventeen years ago, Frank Vogel was just a student at Juniata College in Pennsylvania playing Division III basketball. He knew that he wanted a future in the game as a coach, but he didn't know how he was going to get there.
Today, Vogel is the head coach of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Fresh off of leading the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 after taking over on an interim basis, Vogel earned the job on a permanent basis on July 6.
In between came a transfer to the University of Kentucky, where Vogel became a student manager and eventually a member of the junior varsity team, then a steady rise up the coaching ranks in the NBA. With memories of himself as a college student trying to figure out how to break into the coaching business still in his mind, Vogel can hardly believe where his career has taken him.
He knows, though, that it didn't happen by accident.
"It's completely surreal," Vogel said. "Since I've been in the NBA, I've had my sights set on this type of opportunity, but I was playing Division III basketball and hoping for a chance to be a student manager. I certainly never imagined reaching the NBA. If you work your tail off, focus on the task at hand and are good at what you do, pretty good things can happen."
Vogel's ascent up the coaching ladder was made possible by a series of opportunities. By approaching each of them with a willingness to work, a desire to learn and talent, Vogel has made the very best out of each of the opportunities he has been presented.
The first of them came in Lexington.
A native of Wildwood, N.J., and a lifelong basketball junkie, Vogel earned a spot on the basketball team at Juniata after high school. He never posted big numbers, but he was team captain during his junior year. Vogel enjoyed playing at Juniata but had his eyes on the future.
Vogel wanted to coach.
Since high school, Vogel had been watching the renaissance of Kentucky basketball from afar. He watched as Rick Pitino took over the program and guided the legendary "Unforgettables" to an Elite Eight berth in 1992. In terms of places to learn the coaching trade, Vogel saw none better than Lexington and no better coach to learn from than Pitino.
"He was the reason why I transferred to Kentucky to pursue this dream," Vogel said. "What he did with Richie Farmer, (John) Pelphrey and those guys (was amazing). I still remember watching one of the videos or something that they did after he had been there a couple years and it showed his initial press conference. (I remember seeing) the power of his message, his positive energy and his hard work."
Vogel took to writing Pitino and UK, but he didn't make much headway. It was then that Vogel met Pitino at a camp back home in New Jersey. Vogel didn't approach Pitino asking for an opportunity; he came explaining why he could be an asset to Kentucky basketball.
"I didn't beg for an opportunity for me," Vogel said. "I tried to show them that I am of value to them; that I can help them; that I have a good basketball mind; that I am a good person, a basketball junkie and a purist; I want to work; and I'm not looking for anything but the opportunity to learn."
Vogel firmly believed that a hungry aspiring coach like himself would be of value to a coaching staff with a reputation for outworking everyone else.
"Whatever they're doing in the film room and as hard as they work, I just knew they could use somebody behind the scenes that was going to burn the midnight oil and help them," Vogel said. "Any coach like those guys that works as hard as they do, they appreciate the value of somebody that can do that. I just tried to tell them, 'I'm an undergrad student, but every minute I spend outside the classroom I'll be with you guys helping and I won't ask for anything other than the chance to learn.' I just tried to present it that way."
Vogel's approach worked. UK took him on as a student manager and he enrolled for the 1994-95 school year. He immediately recognized that the decision he made would pay dividends.
During the 1990s, Lexington was a veritable breeding ground for coaches and Vogel got to be a part of that. On the staff when Vogel came to UK was Jim O'Brien, the coach that Vogel replaced with the Pacers, and the current head coach of Mid-Continent University, Winston Bennett. Vogel also got to work alongside Bill Keightley, the long-time equipment manager at UK affectionately known as "Mr. Wildcat".
"I'm so grateful that Mr. Bill Keightley gave me the opportunity and Coach O'Brien and Coach Pitino," Vogel said. "I was very fortunate to be a part of it."
That first year at UK was an amazing experience, but his second would present yet another opportunity. With an exceptionally deep roster and talented players that would likely not see the floor in 1995-96, Pitino decided to revive the junior varsity program at UK. Vogel was asked to be part of the team.
Not only did he get to suit up for games with players like Nazr Mohammed and Cameron Mills, but he also went through all the same drills, conditioning and preseason skill work as the varsity players did. Vogel believes that season is still paying dividends.
"It was awesome," Vogel said. "I always felt like you could only learn so much by watching. You have to learn by doing and that applies to everything in life."
Now, having to balance the schedule of a college athlete with taking 18 credit hours as a biology major, Vogel had to cut down on his responsibilities as a student manager, right?
Wrong.
Vogel set his alarm early every morning for JV practice from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m., followed by his classes. Before lunch, he would head back to Memorial Coliseum to wash uniforms if he had time and do individual workouts with the players as a student manager. From 2 to 6 p.m., Vogel was back at the gym for practice before sneaking in dinner and studying. Late night, he was often with the coaches again working on film projects.
In hindsight, Vogel probably could have found a less demanding major than biology.
"I'm the dumbest person on the planet, doing biology," Vogel joked. "There had to be some easier course loads I could have taken."
You often hear about the hectic life of an NBA coach, but Vogel says that nothing can come close to that 1995-96 season.
"It was a great year for learning to balance my time," Vogel said. "It was by far the busiest year of my life."
Vogel's work was rewarded in the short term by being a part of one of the greatest teams in college basketball history, but what does he most remember about that team?
"I remember denim uniforms," Vogel said, clearly remembering his duty washing the notorious uniforms.
All kidding aside, Vogel watched a team with nine players who would go on to the NBA play as an inseparable unit. As the 2011-12 UK basketball team heads into a season with potentially comparable talent, Vogel believes there is a great lesson to be learned.
"Guys on that team understood that they were going nowhere as individuals (if they didn't go as a team)," Vogel said.
After playing a role in winning a national title, Vogel's longer term reward was becoming Pitino's head video coordinator when he accepted the head coaching position with the Boston Celtics. It was a position that Vogel held for five years before the Celtics hired O'Brien, who promoted Vogel to assistant coach.
Vogel would spend eight years in Boston before he and his family would follow O'Brien in an assistant coach capacity with the Philadelphia 76ers (2004-05) and eventually the Pacers (2007-11). As the years passed by and Vogel remained an assistant, the idea of returning to the college game to earn some head coaching experience crossed his mind, but Vogel remained patient and kept the faith that another great opportunity would come along.
"After I left the Celtics, I was with Jim O'Brien all the way," Vogel said. "I was asked frequently whether I thought I should go back to college to get some head coaching experience. ... I always said that as long I was growing as a basketball coach and still working my way up that I wouldn't be in any rush to go back to the college scene. Hopefully I would find a long shot opportunity and I was fortunate enough that it happened."
That long-shot opportunity came in the form of an interim gig with the Pacers when O'Brien was dismissed on Jan. 31. Vogel took over for a team that was 17-27 and on the outside of the playoff race. Vogel guided his team to a 20-18 record and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers lost a hard-fought five-game series to the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.
"It was quite an experience taking over midseason and I was fortunate to take over a team that was really close to turning the corner," Vogel said. "We did some good things toward the end there and I was happy to be a part of it."
Vogel used the very same approach that compelled him to transfer to UK in the first place to help turn his team around and take advantage of his opportunity as interim coach.
"That sort of belief that you're going to outwork everybody in sight and do it in a positive way," Vogel said. "I just fell in love with that approach and it inspired me to get into coaching and to transfer down to UK and try to make something happen for myself and my career. I think I sort of carried over that approach that Coach P took to turn that team around."
Just over two weeks ago, Vogel was rewarded for his work when the
interim tag was taken away and he was officially named head coach
For some, coaching in a basketball-crazed state like Indiana would be a tall task, but it turns out that Vogel's first opportunity has prepared him for his latest.
"(Working and studying at UK) gave me a tremendous background," Vogel said. "It gave me a tremendous appreciation for what it means. When you think of basketball, you think of Kentucky and Indiana: the high school and the IU-UK rivalry. It's a special part of basketball in this country. Being at UK and experiencing the love and passion for UK basketball back then, that's what prepared me for basketball in this state."
Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin are both participating in the NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago. On Thursday, Draft Express posted a video interview with Noel - the potential No. 1 overall pick. Watch it below.
The 2013-14 season will be John Calipari's fifth as Kentucky head coach. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
The timing of John Calipari's Wednesday press conference was a bit strange.
It had been nearly two months since the end of the 2012-13 season, so there wasn't a lot to talk about on that front. Kentucky's underclassmen made their NBA Draft decisions well over a month ago, so those stories were a bit stale. As for Coach Cal's latest top-rated recruiting class, they all signed nearly four weeks ago and won't arrive on campus for another two or three.
Nonetheless, dozens of reporters packed the Memorial Coliseum media room to hear what Coach Cal had to say on a mid-May morning in a scene that would likely only happen in the Bluegrass.
"I don't even know what this is," said an amazed and unsurprised Calipari.
In effect, it was a mini-media day. Calipari was previewing a season of sorts similar to what he'll do during the real thing in about five months, but there weren't any games or even Big Blue Madness to discuss just yet. Instead, the summer - during which the Wildcats will lay the foundation for the team they'll become - was a primary topic of conversation.
The first step will be for Calipari to determine exactly how he will handle the Cats when they return to/arrive in Lexington in June. With that in mind, Coach Cal is taking the entire basketball staff on a retreat beginning next Monday.
"We're going to have a two-day retreat and what we're primarily going to be doing is (figuring out), 'What do each of these kids need from us?' " Calipari said. "Because every one of these kids we're bringing in need to be coached and they need something from us."
Molding his coaching strategy to each of his players will be a particular challenge this season, if only due to simple arithmetic. With eight newcomers and five returnees on scholarship, Calipari will have the deepest team of his UK tenure. That means the message of unselfishness he delivers every year will be even more important.
"More than any team I've had, shared sacrifice is going to matter in this group," Calipari said. "And they knew that coming here. I told every one of them, 'If you want to shoot 30 balls a game, you don't come here. If you want to be the only guy that's playing - the one guy that everybody's talking about - you wouldn't come here.' "
As well as every Cat might understand that in theory, putting into practice is another matter entirely.
"To bring that many together, really going to be a challenge," Calipari said. "The galvanizing part of this will start this summer."
That's why Coach Cal is so committed to pursuing every means to that end, even if he has to do things differently than he's used to.
"We have some other things that we're going to do as a team that I have not done in the past that I think will help this team come together," Calipari said. "Some of it is we will watch some movies together of some teams coming together, of what they had to do to sacrifice for each other."
Movies aside, he didn't reveal many details about his plans just yet, but you can rest assured they are informed in part by this past year. Calipari made sure to point out there were elements of UK's NIT season he is proud of, including one thing he believes could pay dividends in 2013-14.
"It's not just 'Did they get better?' It's 'Did they learn about themselves?' " Calipari said. "Because sometimes you learn about yourself in a season - Are you ready? Marquis Teague - and you change it in the season. Sometimes you can't. You're just too young.
"They learn about themselves in a season, know that this isn't going to work, they change and they get better. So part of last season was the beginnings of success for the coming year."
Calipari also did his share of learning during a trying year. He's not about to abandon his players-first philosophy, but Coach Cal has also come to understand shielding players too much can do harm.
"What you learn is you can't protect the players," Calipari said. "You can't protect them from competition. You bring in your group, and the guys that understand competition, that brings out the best. They strive and they get better."
He didn't say the exact phrase as he so often does, but it's clear Coach Cal "likes his team" once more. That begins with the personality he expects it to have.
He was asked on Wednesday about UK's signees saying at the McDonald's All-American Game - where six future Wildcats played - there would be fights at practices next season and Calipari said he likes that mentality, so long as those fights are forgotten outside the Joe Craft Center gym.
"It will drag us to where we're trying to go," Calipari said. "I'm going to tell you: Two years ago we did not have a bad practice. Not one. So that led us to building a swagger and a confidence level that we knew we could win every game we play, we just, let's be at our best and if we weren't and someone got us, fine, next game."
The first reason Calipari cited for his national title team's consistent practice habits was the presence of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Now, Coach Cal believes he has at least a couple players - Julius Randle, to name one - who will bring similar effort and a willingness to demand it out of their teammates.
"When you don't have that alpha male at all, you have to do things to try to lead yourself as a coach, and your team can never have the type of success you want," Calipari said. "You try to figure out who that could be or who could step up. A lot of times they are who they are in that regard - those guys who will step up and hold and push the group and not be afraid. That's what you're looking for when you have a good team."
Because he sees that potential, Calipari isn't exactly running away and hiding from the 40-0 buzz surrounding his team. He won't be talking about an undefeated record directly to his team, but the fact that the notion and is out there doesn't scare him even though UK's first loss won't destroy all hope of a successful season.
"Pressure brings out the best," Calipari said. " 'You're going to be fired if you don't get this done. You're not going to make it if you don't get this.' It wakes you up earlier in the morning. I don't mind a little pressure. I've had it my whole career. I've had a gun to my head for 20-something years, and you know what? I'm at my best when the gun is to my head versus where I can kick back and I'm not as good. And you know what? Players are the same."
The University of Kentucky celebrated its 146th May Commencement on Sunday. (photo by Mark Cornelison)
During the University of Kentucky's 146 May Commencement on Sunday, 49 UK student-athletes received degrees. Forty-seven earned undergraduate diplomas and two received graduate degrees.
(Note: Includes student-athletes who received degrees after their completing eligibility.)
Baseball Thomas McCarthy Zac Zellers (Will complete coursework this summer)
Football Aaron Boyd La'Rod King Quentin McCord Craig McIntosh Kevin Mitchell Matt Smith Taylor Wyndham (Note: 2012 seniors Mikie Benton, Gabe Correll, Gene McCaskill, Morgan Newton, Cartier Rice, Collins Ukwu, Steven Duff and Sam Simpson graduated previously.)
Gymnastics Caitlyn Ciokajlo Storey Morris Whitney Rose
Men's basketball Twany Beckham Marquis Estill Jon Hood Jarrod Polson (Graduated in three years) (Note: Jamal Mashburn also received an honorary doctorate of humanities.)
Men's golf Joseph Barr
Men's soccer Pedro Andreoni Gabriel Conelian Barry Rice
Men's swimming and diving Jon Bullock Jon Keltner Ben Russell
Rifle Heather Greathouse
Softball Chanda Bell Kara Dill (Graduate degree in exercise science) Alice O'Brien Erika Silence
Track and field Katy Achtien Keith Hayes Ben Mason (Will complete coursework this summer) Chelsea Oswald Shiara Robinson Josh Nadzam (Masters of social work) Danielle Sampley Rashaud Scott Samantha Stenzel Hiruni Wijayaratne Megan Wright
Volleyball No graduates this weekend, but seniors Ashley Frazier and Christine Hartmann had already graduated.
Nerlens Noel is the consensus top pick for the 2013 NBA Draft. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
