SEC Basketball All-Time Teams during the Arkansas Era

[jbcarol]

The Tournament is a 5-on-5 offering $2 million to the winning team. There are reports that alumni teams from UK, Ole Miss and perhaps others are trying to field teams and qualify.

What are the current All-Alum teams that could be fielded by SEC schools?

Kentucky

Anthony Davis - 22-year-old averaged 24 and 10 in this 4th NBA season

DeMarcus Cousins - Averaged 27 and 11. 5 in this sixth NBA season

John Wall - Cousins college running mate averaged 20 and 10 assists

Brandon Knight - 24-year-old averaged 19.6 in his fifth NBA season

Tayshaun Prince - Top defender in 14 NBA seasons

Bench:

Karl Anthony-Towns - 20-year-old has sixth highest NBA ppg of any UK alum

Jamal Murray - Averaged 20 ppg for UK, star on Canadian national team

Tyler Ulis - 5-9 guard was '16's SEC POY and DPOY. Projects as lottery pick.

Willie Cauley-Stein - Averaged 7 and 5 in 21 mpg as a rookie.

Nazr Muhammed - 38-year-old with 18 seasons is only Pitino recruit on this list

Devin Booker - Melvin Booker's son averaged 14 ppg in his rookie season.

Eric Bledsoe - Wall's running mate at UK has averaged nearly 12 ppg in NBA

Chuck Hayes - "He just wins baby"; 32-year-old has 11 NBA seasons

Julius Randle - Averaged double-double in first full season with Lakers

Just missed:

Rajon Rondo - Has averaged 11 and 8.7 apg in 10 NBA seasons.

[jbcarol]

What are the current All-Alum teams that could be fielded by SEC schools?

Florida

Bradley Beal - Former Gator 1-n-done has averaged 16 ppg in 3 seasons.

Al Horford - Son of Tito has averaged 14 and 9 since '08

Chandler Parsons - Gators 1st SEC POY has averaged over 14 ppg since '12

J. Noah - son of the tennis pro has averaged 9 and 9 since '08

David Lee - Like Horford has averaged 14 and 9 but since '06

Bench

Mike Miller - Pride of S. Dakota has been in NBA since '01

Corey Brewer - Member of Gators' championship teams not a son of a pro athlete

U. Haslem - 13 year pro has averaged 8 and 7

M. Speights - Pro since '09

Matt Bonner - Pro since '05

Nick Calathes - Nick the Greek could step right back on the court and contribute

K. Allen -  '16 SEC All-Freshman Team

Patric Young - Playing in the Greek league would provide another big body

S. Wilbekin - SEC POY is a starting lead guard in the Turkish Super League

[jbcarol]

What are the current All-Alum teams that could be fielded by SEC schools?

LSU

Ben Simmons - Projected lottery pick is an LSU 1-n-done

Marcus Thornton - Former SEC POY is current ppg leader among LSU alum

Brandon Bass - 10 year pro was a former SEC POY

Jarell Martin - Two-year player for LSU made the roster as a rookie

Garrett Temple - Versatile player was a high scorer in the D-League plus 6 NBA years.

Bench

Shaq - Highest earner in history of SEC could still get up and down

Big Baby - SEC Network Studio Analyst could still body up in a one-time tourney

Tyrus Thomas - 8 year NBA player still has hops

JOB III - Johnny O'Bryant has averaged about 10-12 mpg in the league

Jordan Mickey - 2 year LSU player saw 57 total minutes in the NBA in '16

Anthony Randolph - 7-footer is playing in Russia after 6 seasons in the NBA

Keith Hornsby - Son of the leader of The Range, has the range from 3.

Antonio Blakeney - Avg. 12+ ppg as a frosh and is reported to be returning for '17

Tim Quarterman - Avg. 11.2/4.6/3.6 in under 29 mpg for the Tigers in '16

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/markcstory/status/724199739114270720

Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray lit up Rupp Arena this past winter.

Ulis swept SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors and won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. Murray (20 points per game) became the second UK player of the 21st Century to average 20-plus points in a season (Jodie Meeks scored 23.7 per game in 2008-09).

In the future, will all of that be enough for either player to see their jerseys retired and hanging in Rupp Arena's rafters? With the passing of time, how to honor big basketball stars who spent a short amount of time at Kentucky will become an intriguing issue for UK to address.

Since Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart initiated the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, there is a waiting period after leaving Kentucky before one can have a jersey retired.

Five years after a person has departed the university, they are eligible to be inducted into the UK Hall of Fame. To be eligible for a retired jersey, one must have been gone from UK for 10 years and first be chosen a member of the school's athletics hall of fame. A UK-appointed committee makes those selections based on "athletic and academic accomplishments of the individual while at Kentucky, as well as post-UK accomplishments and character."

Though the inclusion of one-and-done players in jersey retirement discussions stirs debate, there is nothing preventing early entrants into professional sports drafts from having a UK jersey retired. Kentucky long ago so honored Jamal Mashburn (men's basketball) and Tim Couch (football), who each left college after three years.

Below is my ranking, from most deserving down, of John Calipari-recruited Kentucky players with plausible cases for someday having a retired jersey hang in Rupp Arena:

1.) Anthony Davis

The case for retiring his jersey: Davis was the best player on a team that won the 2012 national championship. He swept every major national player of the year honor, including the Wooden Award. In the summer after his stellar Kentucky freshman year, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and won a gold medal at the London Olympics as part of Team USA.

2.) John Wall

The case for retiring his jersey: Wall was the best player on a 35-3 team (2009-10) that relaunched the brand of Kentucky basketball. He was a consensus first-team All-American, the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and the SEC Player of the Year. After his one UK season, he became the first Kentucky player ever taken first overall in the NBA Draft.

3.) Tyler Ulis

The case for retiring his jersey: Winning SEC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and the Cousy Award as a sophomore was an extraordinary individual season. As a freshman on the UK team that started 38-0, Ulis made huge clutch plays in a road win at archrival Louisville and in UK's NCAA Tournament round of eight escape against Notre Dame.

4.) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

The case for retiring his jersey: As great a player as Anthony Davis was, MKG was the heart and soul of UK's 2012 NCAA title team — a guy talented enough to be a consensus second-team All-American yet who also oozed positive intangibles.

5.) Brandon Knight

The case for retiring his jersey: Before Murray's 720 points this season, Knight's 2010-11 (657 points) had been the highest-scoring season by a Calipari-era player. Hit two game-winning shots in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, including one that eliminated No. 1 overall seed Ohio State, that helped end a 13-year UK Final Four drought.

6. Terrence Jones

The case for retiring his jersey: In two UK seasons (2010-12), played on two Final Four teams, won an NCAA title (2012), scored more than 1,000 career points (1.064) —

7.) DeMarcus Cousins

The case for retiring his jersey: A consensus second-team All-American who almost averaged a double-double (15.1 points, 9.9 rebounds) in his one UK season in 2009-10.

8.) Willie Cauley-Stein

The case for retiring his jersey: Rare three-year player in Calipari era. As defensive and rebounding specialist, was consensus first-team All-American in 2014-15 on Final Four team.

9.) Julius Randle

The case for retiring his jersey: Power forward averaged a double-double (15 points, 10.4 rebounds) for team that made a run to 2014 NCAA championship game.

10.) Jamal Murray

The case for retiring his jersey: In addition to his prolific scoring, Murray had a rock-solid all-around year, contributing 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game...

Remember, UK's criteria for retired jerseys includes what one does after one leaves Kentucky.

So one-year players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker — whose individual numbers at UK were depressed by being part of 2014-15's platoon system — presumably could play their ways into the Rupp Arena rafters with stellar pro careers.

What about Doron Lamb, a 1,000-point scorer (1,018) with two Final Four trips and an NCAA title to show for his time at UK?

Then, what of Aaron Harrison, who hit three straight game-winning shots in the 2014 NCAA Tournament? Does that magical run elevate a career that would not otherwise be retired-jersey worthy?

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress Apr 22

Interesting note. Two of the top per-minute rebounders in college basketball history are in this year's NBA Draft.

[jbcarol]

What are the current All-Alum teams that could be fielded by SEC schools?

Tennessee

Tobias Harris - One-and-done is the Vol's 4th career ppg in NBA with min. 4 seasons

CJ Watson - Has had a good 8 year NBA run

Josh Richardson - One of the players that stuck with the Vols and got on in NBA in '16

Jordan McRae - See Richardson

Jarnell Stokes - Big guy from Memphis has shuttled from D-League and The League


Bench:

Scotty Hopson - After a cup of joe in the NBA, Hopson is playing in China

Bobby Maze - Vol PG has been a legend in the local summer leagues

Kevin Punter - Transfer SG averaged over 22 ppg before suffering foot injury

Armani "Ronnie" Moore - Has caught Rick Barnes attention for his tenacity

Robert Hubbs III - Former 5-star has lived in Barnes' dog house in '16

Wayne Chism - Vol big man was injured two months ago in the Philippines

JP Prince - Was playing in the Turkish Super League

Chris Lofton - Former SEC POY has played in Turkey and Spain

Honorable Mention:

Jeronne Maymon - Big man played in Israel but had to retire due to five knee surgeries

[jbcarol]

 Parrish Alford ‏@parrishalford 33m33 minutes ago

Beyond left-center on Waveland Avenue there's this. #OleMiss

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/KyleTucker_CJ/status/726168372728217600

Ed Davender, a 49-year-old former University of Kentucky basketball star who suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, died late Thursday night. Retired Wildcats coach Joe B. Hall confirmed the sad news.

"I'm just so sad for the family," said Hall, who recruited Davender and coached him as a freshman at UK before Eddie Sutton took over as coach. "I prayed for him. All the players held a prayer session for him. Many of them went to the hospital, because he was so well thought of. He was a good teammate that everyone enjoyed being around.

"It's always a tragedy when a young person like that comes down. It's the worst thing that can happen outside your immediate family, because a team is like extended family. Those players are like brothers – maybe even closer – and to a coach, they're like your sons. It's a tough thing on all of us when one of them leaves."

Davender grew up in Brooklyn, where he blossomed from playground star to McDonald's All-American and eventually became a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection at Kentucky in 1987 and 1988. He ranks fourth in program history in steals (191), eighth in assists (436) and 11th in points (1,637).

"He grew up in a tough neighborhood," Hall remembers. "I went up to visit him and went to the park where he generally played, and it was one of those typical New York park atmospheres where you can play all day if you can win, and Ed did. It was about a two-block walk from his apartment to the park, and it was kind of a rough walk.

"There was a beer joint, then a liquor store and a pool room – then another beer joint, another liquor store and another pool room. But then one of the guys sitting on the steps said, 'Hello, Joe B.,' and I felt right at home. Everyone knew when a coach was in town to see Ed."

Despite a tough environment in his formative years, Hall said Davender's mother and grandmother "raised him to be a good young man."

He was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1988 but didn't stick in the NBA. In 2010, he was sentenced to eight years in jail for his role in a UK basketball ticket scam, which defrauded victims out of tens of thousands of dollars. He was eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of that sentence.

That misstep is not how Davender's old teammates and coach will remember him.

"He was a good kid," Hall said. "He was a hard worker, had a great desire to be a winner, did everything you ever asked him to do and was no problem at all. This is a sad day."

[jbcarol]

What are the current All-Alum teams that could be fielded by SEC schools?

Arkansas

Joe Johnson - second highest earner of any former SEC player trailing only Shaq

Patrick Beverly - 7th highest NBA per game scoring average by a former Hog

Bobby Portis - Rookie was SEC POY in '15

Sonny Weems - NBA from '09 to current

Coty Clarke - Cup of joe makes him one of five former Hogs to play in NBA in '16

Bench

Ronnie Brewer, Jr. - Santa Cruz Warrior

Moses Kingsley - All-SEC in '16

Jannero Pargo - Oklahoma City Blue

Michael Qualls - Helped Hogs beat '14 UK twice

Courtney Fortson - Available after wrapping up with a Turkish team in March

Anthlon Bell - 44% from college 3

Dusty Hannahs - 43.3% from college 3

Jabril Durham - 6+ assists per game

Rashad "Ky" Madden - Currently playing in the Greek league

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker ‏@wesrucker247 12h12 hours ago

Former #Vols star Josh Richardson was second on the Miami Heat in plus/minus (+11) in their Game One win at Toronto tonight.

[jbcarol]

DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns took the NBA by storm. The three former Wildcats are among the top big men in the entire league, and could become the top three big men in just a few years.

Cousins, Davis and Towns were the only players in the NBA this season to average 18 points, 10 rebounds, and one blocked shot per game. They even combined to shoot 33.3 percent from the 3-point line on 405 attempts. That's the offensive versatility that has many analysts ranking them at the top of their position.

Davis and Cousins are often talked about as top 15 NBA players, and Towns is well on his way.

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker ‏@wesrucker247 16h16 hours ago

I tried to tell people for a couple years that Josh Richardson was an NBA player. Even I'm surprised he's finishing NBA playoff games at PG.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/OleMissMBB/status/731559750878539776

One of two SEC players to average over 40 ppg for a season.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/729707273480589312

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/732022181153112064

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/DCTheState/status/732179607034703872

[jbcarol]

Tennessee Basketball ‏@Vol_Hoops May 12

Departing seniors @dvon34 and @KPJunior_ achieved the ultimate goal earlier today! Proud @UTKnoxville grads! 🍊🎓

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/CatsHQ_CJ/status/732221344658554880

[jbcarol]

Former SEC players who were named NBA Rookie of the Year

Bob Pettit       '55  Milwaukee Hawks

Chuck Person  '87  Indiana Pacers

Shaq              '93  Orlando Magic

Mike Miller      '01  Orlando Magic

Towns            '16  Minnesota Timberwolves

Former SEC players who were named ABA Rookie of the Year

Dan Issel       '71  Kentucky Colonels (co-Rookie of the Year with Charlie Scott)

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 3h3 hours ago Manhattan, NY

Unanimous NBA Rookies of the Year:

Karl Anthony Towns
Damian Lillard
Blake Griffin
David Robinson
Ralph Sampson

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/732719283608952832

Player reps Booker, Cauley-Stein, and Towns were teammates on the '15 team

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 9h9 hours ago Brookhaven, GA

Former Gator C @Mospeights16 w 13 points off bench for Golden State in Game 2 win on 5 of 6 shooting from field.

Golden State takes care of business, evens series with 118-91 win over OKC. Billy D drops to 9-4 in NBA playoffs.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Jeremy_Woo/status/733357601988153345

[jbcarol]

Josh Ward
‏@Josh_Ward

.@RonSlay35 and the #TennesseeConnection are looking for some help. You can vote for them here: https://www.thetournament.com/teams/tennessee-connection?type=fan&f=570c5c338aabb263929243 ...

Ron Slay ‏@RonSlay35 May 20

@Josh_Ward thanks bro



Vols for Life want to put an entry in The Tournament...

[jbcarol]

Kentucky Alumni Team in "The Tournament" thus far

Heavy on players from Tubby Smith - Billy Gillispie transition years plus Marquis Teaque the lead guard on the '12 champs.  Still recruiting.  Derek Anderson is coach.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sec/status/302510373783887872

Horatio Webster is in the news today regarding next steps for his son Malik Newman.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sportstalksc/status/735694048841728007

Howell broke his C5 vertebrae in an accident last week, leaving him paralyzed.

"He'll be in continued rehabilitation for a while," his wife, Reanna said on Wednesday. "We hope that he is able to continue with therapy to get to where he needs to be. The more therapy he has, the better."

Howell began his first day of rehab in Charlotte on Wednesday, and Reanna said that he's upbeat and positive about the journey ahead. While paralysis is the initial diagnosis, the couple is hopeful that he'll drastically improve.

Howell was one of only four McDonald's All-Americans that picked USC and the third from Columbia. A standout at Lower Richland High, Howell scored 970 points for the Gamecocks from 2001-04, playing alongside brother Ivan Howell and helping USC advance to the 2004 NCAA tournament.

Rolando didn't play in the tournament due to a fractured wrist that prematurely ended his college career. He still went on to a lengthy pro career playing across Europe and Asia.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/DeMarreCarroll1/status/736425695837073408

[jbcarol]

Calipari voiced his support for the "Bluegrass Boys," a UK alumni team that will compete this summer in a national event dubbed The Basketball Tournament.

Five out of a possible 11 players have been named to the team: Marquis Teague, Perry Stevenson, Joe Crawford, Ramel Bradley and Kevin Galloway.

Former Wildcat Mark Krebs is the general manager of the Bluegrass Boys, which will be coached by former UK star Derek Anderson.

"They need to get the other guys together," Calipari said. "What about Darius (Miller), DeAndre (Liggins), Josh (Harrellson). What about Doron (Lamb), Eloy (Vargas), some of my guys."

The Basketball Tournament is a 64-team tournament, which starts July 9, and is open to anyone.

To qualify, a team must receive at least 200 fan votes and have seven players on the roster by June 1.

The grand prize is $2 million. One hundred fans of the winning team will split $200,000, according to the event's website.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GoVolsXtra/status/737014466865418241

Bernard King, Dale Ellis and Allan Houston have jerseys hanging in the rafters at Thompson-Boling Arena. So that's a good place to start a Tennessee All-NBA team.

After that trio of icons, however, it gets tricky.

Tennessee has not exactly been a pipeline to the NBA...

King is the best player to wear a Tennessee uniform. He's also a slam dunk as the best ex-Vol to play in the NBA.

Ellis, a rookie in 1983-84, lasted an impressive 17 seasons. His 19,004 career points averaged out to 15.7 per game.

Houston's silky-smooth jump shot allowed him to last 12 seasons and score 14,551 points, an average of 17.3 per game. His 727 starts are the most among ex-Vols.

Ernie Grunfeld is the fourth UT player to have his jersey retired to the rafters. He played nine years in the NBA, but his star never shined as brightly as it did in college.
Of the 693 NBA games Grunfeld played, he started only 17.

A more productive choice at the NBA level is Tobias Harris, who, like Grunfeld, grew up hooping on Long Island, N.Y. Harris just finished his fifth season with a career average of 13.2 points. He already has 216 starts and appears likely to hang around for an extended stay.

Tom Boerwinkle gets the final spot in the starting five.

Boerwinkle, a 7-footer, was the fourth pick of the 1968 draft by the Chicago Bulls. He played 10 years, all for the Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 9.0 rebounds a game.

His best two years he averaged a double-double and once collected 37 rebounds in a game. His high-scoring teammates like Bob Love and Chet Walker appreciated Boerwinkle's unselfishness and deft passing touch. Love has said he cried all day when he learned of Boerwinkle's 2013 death.

The sixth man would be point guard C.J. Watson, who has dished out 1,371 assists in nine (and counting) seasons while scoring 4,063 points. His longevity gives him the edge over Paul Walther and Dick Mehen...

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago

Horatio Webster tells @SNYtv no visits have been set up yet for Malik Newman


Webster may move off of the State All-Time team due to lifetime achievements.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 14h14 hours ago

John Wall Wins the NBA's Community Assist Award http://bit.ly/1P5WVpu

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 18h18 hours ago

Love the fact Wizards guard John Wall won the NBA Community Assist Award. Has really matured over the years.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 15h15 hours ago

Matt Jones Retweeted Shams Charania

Nerlens Noel potentially headed to the Hawks

Shams Charania Verified account
‏@ShamsCharania

Atlanta and Philadelphia are discussing a deal centered on a Jeff Teague and Nerlens Noel package, league sources tell The Vertical.


Teague's brother and Noel both played at UK but missed playing together by one year and an overestimation of NBA draft stock.

[jbcarol]

Robert Horry loses NBA Finals record to LeBron James

Cleveland forward LeBron James broke an NBA Finals record held by Robert Horry.

A prep star at Andalusia and a collegiate standout at Alabama, Horry held the NBA Finals career record by making 56 3-pointers in the championship series. James' two 3-point baskets on Thursday night lifted him one ahead of Horry.

In 16 NBA seasons, Horry averaged scoring 7.0 points per game, but he earned the nickname "Big Shot Bob" because of his penchant for sinking timely 3-pointers in postseason games.

James is playing in the NBA Finals for the seventh time, the same number of finals that Horry played in.

Horry played for seven NBA championship teams – the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and 2007.

[jbcarol]

Happy birthday

To former Mississippi State player Dontae Jones, who scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against UK in the 1996 SEC Tournament finals. He turned 41 on Thursday. ...

To former Florida star Al Horford. He turned 30 on Friday. ...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/740891419494191105

Kentucky has entered a team, Bluegrass Boys, with former Wildcats standout and ex-NBA player Derek Anderson coaching a team that includes Marquis Teague, Joe Crawford, Ramel Bradley and Chane Behanan, a member of Louisville's national championship team in 2013 [coached by Derrick Jasper]...

"I knew the play would be good, but I never envisioned a scenario where a potential second-round matchup could be a team of ex-Kentucky players versus a team with former Michigan State players. It's phenomenal."

The regionals will be held in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NotJerryTipton/status/740549483826696192

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/HKellenbergerCL/status/740282927012007937

Two Mississippians have been selected to the USA Basketball Men's Select Team. Devin Booker of Moss Point and Rodney Hood of Meridian are two of 25 players chosen to be a part of the Select Team that will train with the U.S. Men's National Team during its training camp July 18-21 in Las Vegas.

Booker, who averaged 10 points per game in his only season at Kentucky, was selected 13th overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns and just completed his rookie season during which he averaged 13 points. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Hood, who played one season at Mississippi State before transferring to Duke, just finished his second year with the Utah Jazz. The 6-foot-8 shooting guard started all 79 of the games he played and averaged 14.5 points.

The team will be coached by five-time NBA champion and San Antonio Sports coach Gregg Popovich...

2016 USA Basketball Men's Select Team (SEC connections)

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons

Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings

Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/742089459311751169

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter ‏@Dave_Matter 20h20 hours ago

Mizzou hoops legend (and huge Springsteen fan) Jon Sundvold appointed to UM Board of Curators http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/nixon-names-new-um-curators-ignoring-republican-threat-to-reject/article_7e6a03b1-0773-5afa-95c8-e33d1bcc8e01.html ...

If he survives the MO Senate's vote, Sundvold is an ideal voice of reason for the BoC when it comes to decisions regarding athletics

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/IAmDPick/status/742617633955024900

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/743063034655019008

Another petition seeks to bring Gerald Wallace back to Charlotte's NBA team to retire.

A standout at Childersburg High School and Alabama, Wallace spent 14 seasons in the NBA, including earning a spot in the 2010 All-Star Game while playing for Charlotte, then called the Bobcats, but now known as the Hornets.

The petition seeks "to bring back someone who spent their entire prime in the Charlotte area and gave us 110 percent every single game. He deserves to retire in Charlotte."

The idea to get Wallace a one-day contract to retire in Charlotte has 171 supporters.

Wallace did not play in the NBA during the 2015-16 season.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GrantRamey/status/742861364226625536

Workouts scheduled for Kevin Punter (@KPJunior_): Lakers Clippers (tomorrow) Thunder (Friday) Timberwolves (next week) Wizards (next week)

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss Basketball ‏@OleMissMBB 17h17 hours ago

Congratulations to Stefan Moody, who's working out with the @Bucks tomorrow.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/TeamTobyRocks/status/743555479918370820

Jennifer Palumbo ‏@JenNimePalumbo 20h20 hours ago

"You don't give up, and that's what drives me. You know you're my little man." @THEwillieCS15 to @TeamTobyRocks on KSR

[jbcarol]

Top One Year Players for Mississippi State

Arnett Moultrie '11-12  1st Team All-SEC, 16.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 27th NBA pick
UTEP transfer left State after his junior season.  He was on the 76ers roster for two seasons and as of 2016 is playing in Puerto Rico.

Dontae' Jones '96  Helped lead State to the Final Four with 18 ppg, scored 28 v. eventual NCAA champ and SEC regular season undefeated UK to lead MS to SEC Tournament win, 97 3-pointers is State's single season record, named to Bulldogs' All-Century Team, 21st NBA pick.

Rodney Hood '11-12  Avg. 10 ppg and was All-SEC freshman. Later was a star at Duke (All-ACC 2nd Team) transferring after the Stansbury firing and Renardo Sidney mess.

Malik Newman '15-16 April 2015: Ben Howland on Malik Newman and excitement in Starkville

I'm really excited obviously with the signing of Malik Newman --- that's a huge signing for our program. He's the highest ranked player in the history of the program to sign and then come play in Starkville... His father ['90's All-SEC Horatio Webster] played at Mississippi State and there was just a great love for the program...

I think the opportunity for him to come here and play point guard and focus on that position was big for him. We have a kid here --- I.J. Ready ---

He's definitely an NBA player. He's got a really bright future beyond the college level. He'll be an excellent NBA player. We want to get him to the point where we can have our team have a great season and we can help him have a great year.

Newman is transferring after averaging 11 ppg and failing to make the SEC All-Freshman team.

[jbcarol]

Comparison on players drafted from 2010 to present

UK has had 25 players drafted in that time: 19 in the first round and 10 among the top-10 selections. Those 10 are John Wall (first) and DeMarcus Cousins (fifth) in 2010, Enes Kanter (third) and Brandon Knight (eighth) in 2011, Anthony Davis (first) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (second) in 2012, Nerlens Noel (sixth) in 2013, Julius Randle (seventh) in 2014 and Karl-Anthony Towns (first) and Willie Cauley-Stein (sixth) in 2015.

In that same time period, Duke and Kansas have each had 12 players drafted. Ten first-rounders for Duke, nine for Kansas. North Carolina has had seven players drafted (six in the first round) and Louisville has had five players drafted (two in the first round).

[jbcarol]

NBA Draft is a knockout experience

Former Kentucky star Rex Chapman's NBA Draft experience included a heavyweight championship fight. The night before the 1988 draft, the league took Chapman and such likely picks that year as Danny Manning and Rik Smits to watch Mike Tyson fight Michael Spinks.

"When we got to our seats, the bell sounded," Chapman said. "They came out. And the next thing we knew, it was over and we were leaving."

Tyson knocked out Spinks 91 seconds into the first round.

The NBA Draft can be like Tyson-Spinks. A sense of anticipation, an anything-can-happen atmosphere and, if a player is lucky, a quick ending with his name called early.

When asked if he was uneasy or feeling on top of the world on draft night, ex-Cat Kenny Walker said, "All of the above, and then some. I was nervous. I was excited. It was almost every emotion you can feel."


"Slept on the bus ride there," Cauley-Stein told the Herald-Leader's Anthony Crawford of his trip from his Manhattan hotel to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "Half asleep during the whole ceremony till your name is called."

Projected to be among the top 10 picks, Cauley-Stein was philosophical about his eventual destination.

"You thought you're supposed to go fifth, and you end up going 10th," he said of the draft's fluid nature. "Well, the 10 might be the better option for you."

The Sacramento Kings took Cauley-Stein with the sixth pick.

No such haze for Sam Bowie, who went to the 1984 NBA Draft assured that the Portland Trail Blazers would take him with the second pick of the first round.

"Not that it took away from the excitement and enthusiasm," he said.

For Bowie, the 1984 Draft was the culmination of a long struggle of rehabilitation and re-invention. A stress fracture forced him to sit out two UK seasons, which would be an eternity in today's one-and-done college "careers."

"There were a lot of tears shed and a lot of prayers," Bowie said of his draft-night celebration with family and friends. "Just thankfulness."

Dan Issel, UK's career scoring leader, found himself a pawn in the NBA's competition with the American Basketball Association. The ABA's Dallas Chaparrals called a friend of the Issel family to tell them it had the draft rights to Issel. The friend told the Chaparrals that Issel would only sign with one ABA team: the Kentucky Colonels.

The family friend "was contacted about a week later and told the Colonels were now holding my draft rights," Issel said with a chuckle. He signed with the Colonels.

The NBA Draft in 1970? "I didn't pay attention to it," said Issel, who pointed out that the NBA finals were not even televised live in those long-ago days.

To go back in time even further, future Hall of Famers Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan did not know they had been the fifth and 21st picks in the 1953 NBA Draft.

"That's a whole other era," Hagan said. "The ice age, really."

Former Minnesota coach and Western coach and All-American Clem Haskins related that he was helping his father, a sharecropper, in the tobacco fields when he got called to the house to be informed he was the third overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1967.

[jbcarol]

All-Time Team Composed of Two Year Players for Kentucky

Tyler Ulis '14-16 SEC POY and SEC Defensive POY, 1st Team Consensus All-American

Ron Mercer  '95-97  SEC POY, Consensus All-American, 6th NBA pick, NBA All-Rookie

Antoine Walker  '94-96  1st Team All-SEC, 6th NBA pick, Highest earnings for UK alum

Bill Spivey '49-51  19 ppg, Consensus All-American, "Not Guilty" point shaving, NBA ban

Derek Anderson '95-97  17.7 ppg  13th NBA pick

Bob Burrow '54-56  21 ppg, 2nd Team All-American, 8th NBA pick, Malvern native

Rex Chapman '86-88  2-time All-SEC, 8th NBA pick

Terrence Jones '10-12  SEC FOY, 1st Team All-SEC, 18th NBA pick

Adrian Smith '56-58  NCAA champ, '60 Olympic Gold Medal, NBA All-Star Game MVP

Cliff Barker  '47-49  WWII POW, All-SEC, NCAA 2x champ, Olympic Gold Medal '48

Doron Lamb '10-12  SEC 2nd Team, SEC All-Freshman team, 42nd NBA pick

Rajon Rondo '04-06  SEC All-FR team, 21st NBA pick, 4-time NBA all-star

Dwight Anderson '78-80  41st NBA pick, "The Blur" sparked an epic comeback v. KU


Other two year players include: Harrison twins, Dakari Johnson, Mark Pope, Kyle Wiltjer, Patrick Sparks, Heshimu Evans, Michael Bradley, Rodney Dent, Dale Brown, Ned Jennings, Sean Sutton

[jbcarol]

All-Time Top Two Year Players for Ole Miss

Gerald Glass '89-90  All-America honorable mention, 2x All-SEC first team, transfer from Delta State, 26.1 point career scoring average is second on the Ole Miss charts and sixth in Southeastern Conference history, Finished his two-year career with 1,564 points, placing him eighth all-time at Ole Miss, 20th NBA Pick is tops in Ole Miss history, 2002 Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame inductee

Marshall Henderson '12-14  2x 2nd Team All-SEC, SEC-T MVP, 19.6 ppg career (6th all-time), helped Ole Miss get two trips to the NCAA-T and probably saved Andy Kennedy's job, broke Pat Bradley's record for consecutive games with a 3-point shot with 61 (ended with 66), 138 3PFG is most in one Ole Miss season, also has 2nd most, SG for Nift Al-Janoub in Iraq

Stefan Moody '14-16  Averaged 23.6 ppg as a senior making the All-SEC first team.

Denver Brackeen '53-55  AP Honorable Mention All-American, 24.8 ppg career scoring, Helms Foundation second team All-America squad in 1955 after averaging 27.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game, which still stand as fourth and second in Ole Miss history, SEC POY, 1,040 points is 29th-most in school history, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame

Dave Shepherd G, '74-75 After transferring from Indiana University, Shepherd was the Rebel's top scorer in 1975 with a 20.7 average ... 1975 All-SEC second-team selection by UPI and third team by the AP while also earning Academic All-America accolades ... Became the highest scoring guard in a single season at Ole Miss in 1975 by tallying 537 points ... Second-leading scorer in the SEC after averaging 21.2 points per outing in league play.

John Billips F/G, '76-77 A transfer from Chipola Junior College in Florida, Billips started every game except one during his two-year career at Ole Miss ... 1977 All-SEC third-team selection as a senior ... Led the team with 17.3 points and 9.8 boards per contest that season, good for eighth and fifth in the conference, respectively ... Fifth-round pick of the Denver Nuggets in the 1977 NBA Draft.

Eric Smith F, '86-87 Consistent scorer and rebounder during his two seasons at Ole Miss ... Earned All-SEC third-team recognition in 1986 when he averaged 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game ... The next year, the forward led Ole Miss with an 8.0 rebounding average, which ranked him fifth in the SEC.

Charles Prater G, '87-88 Started every game during his two-year Rebel career ... In 1986-87, averaged 12.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing ... He also tallied a steal in all but six games during his first season, good for 42 that year ... In his final season, Prater posted 464 points, good for a 16.0 average, and was named to All-SEC third team.

Clarence Sanders G, '06-07 A junior college transfer from Okaloosa-Walton, Sanders led Ole Miss and ranked fifth in the SEC with 16.1 points per game in his final season en route to All-SEC second team honors from the league coaches and AP ... Set a then-school record with 96 three-pointers during his senior season, as well as leading the SEC with 56 treys in league play ... Collected 127 three-point shots in his career as well as knocking down four or more three-pointers in 12 games.

David Huertas G, '07-09 Averaged 18.1 ppg and made All-SEC Second Team.