Kentucky duo goes 1-2 at NBA draft

NEWARK, N.J. -- No one-and-done for Kentucky's kids in the NBA draft. The Wildcats instead became the first school to go 1-2.

After the New Orleans Hornets selected Kentucky forward Anthony Davis with the No. 1 pick Thursday, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Wildcats are the first school to have the top two picks, part of what they hoped would be perhaps five or even six players selected in the first round. John Calipari has been criticized for taking "one-and-done" players -- they stay the required one year and leave -- but he looked thrilled hugging his two stars.

"It's crazy," Davis said. "Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully all of them will go in the first round."

Davis will begin his pro career in the same city where he ended it with a national title. College basketball's player of the year as a freshman was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four despite shooting just 1 for 10 from the field in the championship game, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking six shots in the victory over Kansas.

Davis slipped on a blue and purple Hornets hat above a conservative grey suit that took no attention away from basketball's most famous eyebrow. Davis even attempted to capitalize on the attention his unibrow gets, trademarking "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow" earlier this month.

On the floor, Davis has the agility of a guard -- and he was one only a few years ago.

The 6-foot-10 Davis averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks, becoming a dominant defender after growing 7 inches from the start of his junior year of high school.

Kidd-Gilchrist's selection by the Bobcats was loudly cheered, a sharp contrast from the boos Commissioner David Stern received when coming out to announce the picks. The new Charlotte swingman played in high school at nearby St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, N.J., and fans chanted "MKG! MKG!" as he walked off the stage.

Florida's Bradley Beal went third to Washington, making it three SEC freshman in the first three picks. Cleveland followed with the surprisingly early pick of Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters at No. 4.

Thomas Robinson of Kansas, who hoped to go second, fell to Sacramento at No. 5. Portland took Weber State's Damian Lillard at No 6 with its first of two lottery picks, and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes was taken seventh by Golden State.

-- The Associated Press

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 29, 2012 C7