The last University of Kentucky basketball player to go No. 1 in the draft was Rhyne Howard, who was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the 2022 WNBA Draft. However, as far as the men’s basketball program goes, Karl-Anthony Towns was the last player to be drafted No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, back in 2015.
Come June 2024, there is some belief that Kentucky could have their next No. 1 pick in one of their talented freshmen. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes that could be Justin Edwards, projecting him No. 1 in his latest 2024 NBA mock draft.
Vecenie had much praise for the Kentucky forward, with his impressive play during GLOBL being a big reason why.
“Still, I’d expect Edwards to have an enormous impact. He’ll be Kentucky’s best player this year, ahead of highly rated recruits such as DJ Wagner, Robert Dillingham, Aaron Bradshaw and others. That bore itself out during the team’s trip to Canada for the GLOBL JAM event, where Edwards was the team’s best player in the final and averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks during the event. Most importantly: Edwards was very confident taking 3s, even though he only made 30 percent of them. I buy him being a bit more polished than some of these other guys, capable of playing well on both ends of the floor at an important position of value (a combo three/four) and especially able to drive toward the rim.”
It is also important to note that Edwards will be 20 when the 2024 NBA Draft rolls around, while most players in his draft class will be 18-19 years old.
Other Cats in the Draft
Edwards was not the only Wildcat named in Vecenie’s mock draft, with fellow teammates DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw also making appearances, with Wagner at No. 22 and Bradshaw at No. 38.
Vecenie also provided an evaluation of Wagner, although he was not as high on Wagner as he was on Edwards.
“The problems for Wagner are threefold. First, he’s merely a good athlete, not a great one. He’s crafty with the ball, but doesn’t have lightning quickness or explosiveness. Second, he’s a scoring guard at 6-foot-2, not a point guard. He needs to significantly improve his passing ability and make more plays for his teammates. The third is his shooting. Over the last two summers on the EYBL circuit, as well as more than 17 additional Synergy-tracked games for Camden High School and with USA Basketball, he has made just 54 of his 213 3-point attempts, a paltry 25 percent. It’s really hard to make it in the NBA as a 6-foot-3 scoring two guard without immense athleticism or a proficient 3-point shot.”
Hopefully, this season, Wagner can prove Vecenie wrong and justify why he can be a lottery pick, maybe even a top-five or top-ten pick like others believe he can be.
Antonio Reeves, Rob Dillingham, and Zvonimir Ivisic are some notable names that did not make Vecenie’s projections.
The 2023-2024 Kentucky Wildcats have no shortage of talent and have a chance to be very, very good. With three of the nation’s top six recruits, as well as veterans and depth, this team looks to have the ability to make to a deep postseason run. Perhaps led by a future No. 1 NBA Draft pick in Justin Edwards.
More must-reads: