Connect with us

Men's Basketball

NBA Scouts Want to See Chris Livingston Return to Kentucky, Criticizes His NBA Chances

Published

on

© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Coming to Kentucky as a five-star freshman, Chris Livingston was projected as a first-round NBA draft pick and expected himself to be a one-and-done player. While he possesses an NBA frame, Livingston didn’t live up to that draft grade.

Looking at the season as a whole, Livingston started 26 of 34 games. However, through the first 21 games of the season, he was plagued with inconsistency and relegated to playing an average of just sixteen minutes per game. In that span, his play did not make a case for more playing time either, averaging just 5.3 points on 2.7 rebounds on 39.7 percent shooting.

As the season progressed, injuries impacted the Kentucky roster, which gave Livingston more opportunity and allowed him to grow. Over the final 13 games, Livingston played more than 32 minutes per game, contributing 7.9 points and 6.5 rebounds on 55 percent shooting.

Advertisement

Against Kansas State, Livingston put his development on full display. With Kentucky’s season on the line, he was one of Kentucky’s best offensive options and scored 11 points to go along with 7 rebounds.

While Livingston has the desire to go to the NBA as soon as possible, the NBA is not sold on him as a prospect. According to Kyle Tucker of The Athletic, one NBA Scout said, “If you held a hundred drafts, he’d go unselected in most of them.”

Livingston’s agency, LeBron James-owned Klutch Sports, it s trying to find a team to bet on his potential with a first-round pick, or even a second-round pick with guaranteed money. At the end of the day, all it takes is one team to draft him, but the one unnamed scout is not the only one that believes Livingston would be better served to return to college. In fact, Tucker spoke to four more evaluators and this is what they had to say:

Evaluator #1: “I’d like him to go back for three years and figure out what he is as a player.”

Advertisement

Evaluator #2: “I at least saw some flashes late in the year. At the beginning of the year, there wasn’t anything.”

Evaluator #3: “Go. Back. To. School,” said still another, who does not believe Livingston will be drafted at all if he stays in this year.

Evaluator #4: “It only takes one team, but I don’t view him as a first-round pick or a lock draft pick. Maybe they’ve got something, but (the first round) seems like an oversell.”

While the majority opinion is that Livingston should return to college and potentially have an All-SEC caliber season, he does still have the NBA Draft Combine and some team workouts to make a strong impression.

Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Amari Williams Picked 46th by the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Draft

Amari Williams is the second Kentucky player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, as Boston takes the big man with their second round pick.

Published

on

Amari Williams is drafted by the Boston Celtics.
Wesley Hale | Imagn Images

Fan-favorite big man (and official Weetabix sponsor) Amari Williams has officially made it to the big leagues, taken by the Boston Celtics with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, via a trade with the Orlando Magic.

The selection makes Williams the second Wildcat to be scooped up from this year’s pool, following Koby Brea being picked by the Phoenix Suns just five picks earlier at the 41st spot. From Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team, two transfer athletes (thus far) in their last year of eligibility have achieved next-level dreams by way of the blue and white.

Williams, who averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game during his lone season in Lexington, will look to aid Boston in filling their recently vacant five-spot, left by the recently traded Kristaps Porzingis.

Advertisement

As Wildcat fans surely know, not only can Williams battle with the best of them in the paint, but he can run the floor as efficiently as just about any guard, too. His versatility and sizable frame ensure a high ceiling in the NBA and, despite not every draft board seeing him selected, the league champions two years removed made the call when it mattered.

Hailing overseas from Nottingham, England, and spending his first four years of college basketball at the University of Drexel, Williams’ success is a testament not only to Kentucky Basketball’s immaculate tradition, but to his own incredible work ethic and intangible ability.

Cats fans will be sure to follow and support their point-center to the next level, as they always do. Go be great, Amari – all of BBN has your back.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Koby Brea Selected to the Phoenix Suns With the No. 41 Overall Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Published

on

Tristan Pharis | KY Insider

Koby Brea arrived at Kentucky last season as one of the nation’s deadliest shooters, lived up to the billing, and reaped his rewards on Thursday night at the NBA Draft. The former Kentucky star is heading to the Phoenix Suns with the No. 41 overall pick

As a 6-foot-7 wing, Brea entered the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the most experienced prospects after spending four years at Dayton and a fifth at Kentucky during Mark Pope’s successful first season as head coach, where he became one of the best three-point shooters in all of college basketball.

Last season at Kentucky, the Bronx native averaged 11.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game in 36 games, 16 of which were starts, showcasing his scoring ability in transition, off the catch, and via handoffs and screens.

Advertisement

Not only did Brea achieve his own dreams of playing at the next level, but becomes a piece of history for Pope, becoming the first player drafted out of Kentucky during the Pope era.

Brea joins a rebuilding franchise with a notorious background for drafting Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe rings the bell, Tyler Ulis of course, and the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, Devin Booker obviously leads the pack.

Go be great Fuego!

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

How a Call with Mark Pope Led Denzel Aberdeen to Kentucky

After winning a national title at Florida, Denzel Aberdeen committed to Kentucky without ever visiting campus—thanks to a revealing three-hour call with head coach Mark Pope.

Published

on

Chet White | UK Athletics

As a junior, Denzel Aberdeen was a key part of Florida’s national title run. But a certain phone conversation convinced him to leave his home state and head north to Lexington in hopes of experiencing that feeling once again.

He had never set foot in Lexington before deciding to become a Kentucky Wildcat — and he didn’t need to. All it took was one phone call — three hours long, on Easter Sunday — with head coach Mark Pope to convince him that he belonged in blue and white.

“Our phone call lasted about three hours, to be honest,” Aberdeen said, meeting with the media in Lexington for the first time earlier this week. “A lot of it was just getting to know me and getting to know the school, the university, getting to know him (Pope), how their style was, a lot of film. Once I saw that, I was like this looks like a great guy to play for.”

Advertisement

The two went on to discuss Aberdeen’s role at Kentucky in more depth, including how Pope envisions him fitting into Kentucky’s new system — a system that, according to Aberdeen, is very similar, if not better than the one he just left.

“We had a lot of great players at Florida, especially the tall bigs. Bigs that love to run there, and we have just as much here; our bigs love to run, they play defense, and they play at a fast pace. So I think the things that we’ve got here are just as good, or even better,” Aberdeen said.

Averaging 7.7 points and nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Gators last year, it’s clear to see what Aberdeen brings to the team: experience, versatility, calmness in the backcourt, and championship pedigree. Pope’s phone conversation with Aberdeen wasn’t just impactful on the court — it also speaks volumes to what he is doing off the court in pursuit of the goal he laid out in his introductory press conference: to hang banners.

This phone call wasn’t just about Denzel Aberdeen. It was a glimpse into Pope’s player-first, transparent coaching approach, which could define his era at Kentucky — and potentially make this season a special one, with Aberdeen playing another key role in a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Advertisement

“I know the goal is to win No. 9,” he said. “I know the fans want that, we want that, all the staff and coaches want that. That pushes us. We know what we gotta do when we come here and put on that Kentucky jersey. Just playing for the University of Kentucky is a big thing. Being here is a blessing, and I can’t look back.”

Continue Reading

Trending