Seventeen former Cats part of NBA restart in Orlando

Wondering which former Kentucky standouts will be featured when the NBA restarts its season on July 30 in "the bubble" at Disney World in Orlando?

The Wildcats will be well-represented. Seventeen former UK stars -- matching Duke for the largest college presence in the event -- will be competing for a spot in the newly configured playoffs.

Four teams will have multiple Cats, led by the Oklahoma City Thunder with three (Hamidou Diallo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nerlens Noel).

Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo could be in position to win a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, who, led by MVP candidate LeBron James, are one of the favorites in the West. Davis is averaging 26.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocked shots for the Lakers.

In the Eastern Conference, Eric Bledsoe (15.4 ppg, 5.4 apg) has played a leading role for the Milwaukee Bucks, who own the NBA’s best record at 53-12. He will rejoin the Bucks after a quarantine period from a positive test for COVID-19.

The full list of UK players includes:

Boston Celtics (1) – Enes Kanter

Dallas Mavericks (1) – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Denver Nuggets (1) – Jamal Murray

LA Clippers (1) – Patrick Patterson

LA Lakers (2) – Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo (injured)

Miami Heat (2) – Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro

Milwaukee Bucks (1) – Eric Bledsoe

OKC Thunder (3) – Hamidou Diallo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nerlens Noel

Phoenix Suns (1) – Devin Booker

Portland Trail Blazers (1) – Wenyen Gabriel

Sacramento Kings (1) – De’Aaron Fox

San Antonio Spurs (2) – Keldon Johnson, Trey Lyles (injured)

Twenty-two teams will compete for 16 playoff spots -- eight per conference -- in the bubble, which was formed to help complete the season safely amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Play was originally halted on March 11.

The playoffs will begin on Aug. 17.