The Miami Heat took a chance on Bam Adebayo's long-term potential as a defensive stopper Thursday, taking him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
Adebayo, a 6'9 ¾", 242-pound big man, spent one season at Kentucky. He averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor.
The Kentucky Wildcats provided some perspective behind the selection:
Fellow Kentucky alumnus Devin Booker congratulated his fellow Wildcat:
ESPN.com's J.A. Adande tweeted about how Kentucky has become a factory line of NBA prospects:
BBallBreakdown's Shane Young and Fox Sports' Dan Carson think Adebayo will be a good fit in Miami:
ESPN's Jorge Sedano is a little less enthusiastic:
"The key to Bam is, Bam doesn't know [how talented he is]," Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne told Chris Dortch of NBA.