Rating:

5.0 (5 votes)

ESPN has two former UK stars in their top 3 when it comes to predicting the rookie of the year award. They have a panel of 93 basketball experts.

You don't see this everyday. They have the top draft pick from the last two years as the top two choices for rookie of the year. That's possible because Blake Griffin for the Los Angeles Clippers was hurt last season.

They have John Wall number one, followed by Griffin and then DeMarcus Cousins.

With the former UK superstar, more than half of the panel picked him.

This was ESPN's take on Wall.

"A pure point guard with amazing quicks, the will to pass, defensive skills and a decent shot, Wall has a game that should translate immediately to the pro level. Witness recent ROY winners Chris Paul and Derrick Rose -- the two players to whom Wall is most often compared."

Just being the top pick doesn't guarantee you Rookie of the Year. Only 2 of the last 11 have won the award.

As far as the former UK center, ESPN says that "based on talent alone, Cousins could easily be the favorite to win rookie of the year. Just look at his Kentucky stats -- he's an efficient double-double machine who dominated college opponents as a freshman."

Our prediction is, we will be showing more NBA highlights this year than perhaps the last 10 seasons combined. Many UK fans will probably spend a lot more time watching Washington and Sacramento because of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins.