Kentucky added two more first-round NBA Draft picks to its impressive list on Thursday night, although one may continue to be the subject of debate among college basketball fans in the Bluegrass State and beyond.
Shaedon Sharpe, who joined the Wildcats for the second semester of the 2021-22 season but never appeared in a game for UK, was selected with the No. 7 pick overall by the Portland Trailblazers.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing was considered by many to be the top prep prospect for 2023 prior to his early enrollment at Kentucky and was being hyped as the potential No. 1 overall pick by UK head coach John Calipari had he played next season with the Cats.
Meanwhile, fellow freshman guard TyTy Washington, slid all the way to the penultimate pick in the first round -- No. 29 -- by the Memphis Grizzlies but will reportedly be traded to the Houston Rockets.
A 6-foot-3, 197-pound combo guard, Washington averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game during his one season in Lexington. He shot 35% from 3-point range and 75% at the free-throw line en route to second-team All-SEC honors.
The selections of Sharpe and Washington extended UK's streak to 13 years with at least one player drafted in the first round. That's the longest active streak by any school since the NBA Draft expanded to two rounds in 1989.
Kentucky also holds the all-time lead with 57 first-round NBA Draft picks. Thirty-four of those have come under Calipari.