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Kentucky becomes first school in ten years to produce four lottery picks

Karl Towns VisitsTthe Empire State Building

Karl Towns VisitsTthe Empire State Building

David Dow

While Kentucky’s 2014-15 season did not produce a national title, it produced a host of players who heard their names called during Thursday’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn. Karl-Anthony Towns kicked things off as he was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in total Kentucky had four players picked during the lottery.

That number is the highest for a college basketball program since North Carolina had four players selected during the lottery portion of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Willie Cauley-Stein (sixth to Sacramento), Trey Lyles (12th to Utah) and Devin Booker (13th to Phoenix) were the other lottery picks for John Calipari’s program, which are the most lottery picks in a single draft since North Carolina had three players taken in the 2012 NBA Draft lottery.

“It just shows that our team was special,” Lyles said after being selected. “It was unlike any other, and we’ve still got three other guys that are going to go tonight.”

Unfortunately for Kentucky only two of those remaining players heard their names called. Andrew Harrison (44th to Phoenix; rights traded to Memphis) and Dakari Johnson (48th to Oklahoma City) were both second round selections, with Aaron Harrison going undrafted.

The six draft picks are tied for the most in a single draft in the history of the event.