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7 Kentucky players declare for NBA: who made a mistake?

By Connor Muldowney

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats players Aaron Harrison (2) , Trey Lyles (41) and Trey Lyles (41) celebrate after a basket against the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats players Aaron Harrison (2) , Trey Lyles (41) and Trey Lyles (41) celebrate after a basket against the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men /
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A handful of Kentucky players, seven to be exact, have declared for the NBA today. Which ones made a mistake by going pro?

Every year it seems, Kentucky has a short list of players who decided to leave after one or two years with coach John Calipari. This year is no different as the recruiting magician of a head coach has turned seven Wildcats into possible future pros this year.

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On Thursday afternoon, the school announced that seven players have decided to leave Kentucky early and head to the NBA Draft this June. Some of the names on the list are a bit surprising, while others are to be expected.

When half of your team decides to leave for the next level, you have to believe a couple of those guys are not quite ready.

Here is the list of guys who have decided to leave Lexington and head to the NBA:

The last one stands out a bit, as Cauley-Stein was a junior for the Wildcats. That’s like a redshirt senior under Kentucky’s standards these days.

Now that the Kentucky players have declared, let’s take a look at who should have stayed for at least another year.

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Andrew Harrison (5) saves the ball from going out of bounds against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half of the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Andrew Harrison (5) saves the ball from going out of bounds against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half of the 2015 NCAA Men /

Andrew Harrison

Many believe he is a long-shot to get drafted and the point guard didn’t do himself any favors this season, shooting an abysmal 38 percent from the field to go along with 9.8 points and 3.6 assists per game.

While Andrew has very good size for a point guard at 6-foot-6, his poor shooting would scare any scout away. This Harrison twin may not get drafted, but at least he has an NCAA title under his belt. Oh wait, never mind.

Aaron Harrison

The other Harrison twin has shot better from the field but not the three-point line this season. Aaron led the team in scoring, with just 11.0 per contest, while also ranking third on the team in assists, second in steals and second in minutes per game, behind only Cauley-Stein.

Aaron saw his touch basically disappear this season from long range, making just over 30 percent of his shots from the three-point line. The twins may need to take some shooting lessons before they try out for any team at the next level if they expect to have a great deal of success.

I’m not sure who gave him the advice to leave college for the NBA.

Mar 7, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) dribbles the ball against Florida Gators forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) dribbles the ball against Florida Gators forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

Trey Lyles

I know I might get some heat for this one, but I honestly think Lyles could use one more season in college to polish his skills. I get that he had a solid year for the Wildcats, averaging 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and shooting 49 percent from the field, but he could dominate in 2015-16.

Lyles was more like a third or fourth option in the paint this season because of Karl-Anthony Towns and Cauley-Stein roaming down low. With those two guys departing, Lyles would have had the opportunity to be the prime post player for the Cats and maybe even sneak into the top-five of next year’s draft.

I think one more year could have made him a real star.

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Dakari Johnson (44) reacts after the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Dakari Johnson (44) reacts after the 2015 NCAA Men /

Dakari Johnson

Last, but certainly not least, Dakari Johnson spent two seasons with the Wildcats before deciding he had enough college and was ready for the big leagues.

However, Johnson is far from polished as a post player and is only being drafted on potential at this point. He averaged just 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season while watching his shooting percentage from the floor go from 56 percent last year to just 50 percent this year.

It seems as if Dakari took a bit of a step back in the growing process, but he also didn’t get much attention playing behind Towns and Cauley-Stein. He could have partnered with Lyles next season to form quite the dynamic post duo.

Too early for the big man to leave, in my books.

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