NEW YORK — John Wall is heading to Washington, and a record number of Kentucky teammates are following him to the NBA.
Wall went to the Wizards with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday and four more Wildcats were among the top 30 selections, making them the first school ever to put five players in the first round.
After falling short of the Final Four even with all that talent around him, Wall is ready to help Washington bounce back from a season that was embarrassing on the court and in the locker room.
“I feel like I had pressure since I became No. 1 in high school and was one of the top players,” Wall said. “I always got there hungry wanting to fight hard and compete in every game, so when I step on the court I’m going to take on any challenge there.”
The SEC Player of the Year is the first Kentucky player chosen first overall. He goes to a team still reeling from Gilbert Arenas’ season-ending suspension for bringing guns into the team locker room.
Wall could replace Arenas as the Wizards’ point guard, or perhaps play alongside him in a potential high-scoring back court. He’ll try to become the third consecutive freshman point guard to win Rookie of the Year honors after Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans - who like Wall also played for John Calipari.
The pick came shortly after a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that the Chicago Bulls had agreed to trade veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in the draft, Kevin Seraphin, to the Wizards. Hinrich is a solid veteran defensive guard who could help with Wall’s transition to the NBA.
Predicted to finish in the top half of the Eastern Conference last season, the Wizards’ season quickly spiraled out of control, reaching its low point on New Year’s Day when news broke of the altercation involving guns between Arenas and fellow guard Javaris Crittenton, who also was suspended for the year. Washington eventually traded fellow stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler in a 26-56 finish.
Kentucky landed a second top-five pick when DeMarcus Cousins was taken by Sacramento at No. 5, then put two more players in the top 18 when the Houston Rockets chose Patrick Patterson at No. 14 and Oklahoma City took guard Eric Bledsoe four spots later. Daniel Orton then went to Orlando with the 29th pick, breaking the previous record of four first-round picks from one school.
The Philadelphia 76ers took national player of the year Evan Turner from Ohio State at No. 2. The notoriously tough Philadelphia fans at Madison Square Garden liked the choice, loudly cheering and chanting “Evan Turner! Evan Turner !”
“If Philly expects me to be great,” Turner said, “then we have a mutual understanding.”
Derrick Favors became the second freshman taken in the first three picks when the New Jersey Nets chose the Georgia Tech forward.
The Minnesota Timberwolves then grabbed Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson, whom the Nets also had considered.
Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh also is headed to Northern California, chosen by Golden State at No. 6. Detroit kept up the run of big men by selecting Georgetown center Greg Monroe with the seventh pick, before the Los Angeles Clippers went for Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu.
Butler’s Gordon Hayward went ninth to Utah, one spot before the Indiana Pacers would’ve faced pressure to pick the hometown star. Instead, they chose Fresno State forward Paul George before Kansas teammates Cole Aldrich (New Orleans) and Xavier Henry (Memphis) went with back-to-back picks.
Aldrich’s rights were later sent to Oklahoma City along with veteran swingman Morris Peterson for the rights to the Thunder’s Nos. 21 and 26 picks, which became Iowa State forward Craig Brackins and Washington guard Quincy Pondexter.
Moves were made with July 1 in mind, such as the Bulls’ deal with Washington that opened additional salary cap space for perhaps a second top player. Toronto drafted North Carolina’s Ed Davis at No. 13, a potential replacement if the Raptors lose Chris Bosh in free agency.
There were a flurry of trades near the bottom of the first round: forward Martell Webster went from Portland to Minnesota for Ryan Gomes and Luke Babbitt.
Second round picks PICK, TEAM, NAME, POS., PREVIOUS 31. New Jersey, Tibor Pleiss, c, Germany.
32. Miami, Dexter Pittman, c, Texas.
33. Sacramento, Hassan Whiteside, c, Marshall.
34. Portland, Armon Johnson, g, Nevada 35. Washington, Nemanja Bjelica, f, Serbia 36. Detroit, Terrico White, g, Mississippi 37. Milwaukee, Darington Hobson, f, New Mexico 38. New York, Andy Rautins, g, Syracuse 39. New York, Landry Fields, f, Stanford.
40. Indiana, Lance Stephenson, g, Cincinnati.
41. Miami, Jarvis Varnado, f, Mississippi State.
42. Miami, Da’Sean Butler, f, West Virginia.
43. LA Lakers, Devin Ebanks, f, West Virginia.
44. Milwaukee, Jerome Jordan, c, Tulsa.
45. Minnesota, Paulo Prestes, c, Spain.
46. Phoenix, Gani Lawal, f, Georgia Tech.
47. Milwaukee, Tiny Gallon, f, Oklahoma.
48. Miami, Latavious Williams, f, Tulsa (NBADL).
49. San Antonio, Ryan Richards, f, Spain.
50. Dallas, Solomon Alabi, c, Florida State.
51. Oklahoma City, Magnum Rolle, c, Louisiana Tech. 52. Boston, Luke Harangody, f, Notre Dame.
53. Atlanta, Pape Sy, f, France.
54. LA Clippers, Willie Warren, g, Oklahoma.
55. Utah, Jeremy Evans*, f, Western Kentucky.
56. e-Minnesota, Hamady Ndiaye, c, Rutgers.
57. Indiana, Ryan Reid, f, Florida State.
58. LA Lakers, Derrick Character, f, UTEP.
59. Orlando, Stanley Robinson, f, Connecticut.
60. Phoenix, Dwayne Collins, f, Miami.
*Evans is from Crossett
Sports, Pages 19 on 06/25/2010