HOUSTON — Each year, John Calipari and Kentucky land five-star, one-and-done prospects. Kentucky has become a springboard to the NBA since 2012, when Anthony Davis helped lead Kentucky to a national championship and was the No. 1 pick in the draft. Since then, Kentucky has had 11 top-3 recruiting classes led by elite high school prospects who have gone on to be great NBA players.
In the last nine NBA drafts, Kentucky has had 14 players selected in the first round, and there are currently 28 former Wildcats in the NBA or G League — Kentucky has the most active NBA players, with Duke second (24) and UCLA third (15).