The Cautious Look Ahead

Only because its never too early to start looking forward, the prospects for the 2010 NBA Draft are already being put under the microscope by Andy Katz. Its a good cop/bad cop scenario if you're a fan of the Blue and White.

Three Wildcats: DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Patrick Patterson are all listed among the top 30(ish). This should come as no surprise to anyone following UK basketball, just be prepared. We all know how fans took it when Jodie let his intentions be known.

Here is the nugget about each.

• DeMarcus Cousins - Cousins comes to a team expected to compete for the national title with plenty of hype. But how John Calipari uses him and how he meshes with Patrick Patterson are questions still unanswered. He's not ready for the NBA, but if Kentucky has a banner season and he flourishes, he could be tempted for a short stay with the Wildcats.


• Patrick Patterson - Patterson returned to school because he didn't think he was ready for the NBA. Great call. He clearly knows his game. He should flourish playing for Calipari, and there's no doubt the interest in him will only increase, as he likely will lead Kentucky to great things. Without Jodie Meeks, Patterson will be counted on to be more vocal. If he stays healthy, proves he's a leader and continues to be productive, his evaluation likely will be extremely positive.


• John Wall - Wall will be the projected No. 1 pick throughout the season. He has game-changing ability on every possession. He can fly as a lead guard and will be extremely tough to stay in front of on a possession. He could, and should, be Calipari's second No. 1 pick in three seasons after coaching Derrick Rose at Memphis in 2008. Of course, it helped Rose's candidacy for the top spot when he led the Tigers to the national title game. Wall could do the same at Kentucky.

This type of thinking is in the official UK fan handbook: Never enjoy what you currently have, always worry.