5 Kentucky freshmen projected as first-round picks in new 2024 NBA Mock Draft

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Head coach John Calipari brought in the country’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class to Kentucky. And even though we’re only 10 games into the 2023-24 season, the five best freshmen from that group are all projected by at least one outlet to hear their names called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in half a year.

On Monday afternoon, NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek of Yahoo! Sports released a third update to her 2024 NBA Mock Draft. Peek only listed her first-round projections, but of those 30 picks, five of them were Kentucky players — all freshmen — including two predicted to go in the lottery.

Yahoo! Sports 2024 NBA Mock Draft 3.0

No. 10 | G Rob Dillingham (San Antonio Spurs)
No. 14 | G/F Justin Edwards (Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 17 | G Reed Sheppard (New York Knicks)
No. 18 | C Aaron Bradshaw (New Orleans Pelicans)
No. 30 | G DJ Wagner (Boston Celtics)

Updated 2024 NBA mock draft for @YahooSports:
1. Alex Sarr
2. Cody Williams
3. Zaccharie Risacher
4. Nikola Topic
5. Ja’Kobe Walter
Full first round and analysis ⬇️https://t.co/vEXPTigzAc
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) December 18, 2023

All five of these Kentucky rookies have played significant roles for the Wildcats so far this season. Dillingham and Sheppard have been arguably the two biggest surprises. Coming off the bench, that backcourt duo has rightfully thrust itself into NBA Draft conversations through the first six weeks of the season. Dillingham is second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game while Sheppard is third with 12.8 per game.

Wagner started off slow to begin the season but has since picked up his play in recent weeks. A minor ankle injury caused him to miss Kentucky’s shocking loss to UNC-Wilmington on Dec. 2, which showcased his value to this team more than anything. On Monday, Wagner was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season following his impressive showing against North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw has only played three games after recovering from a broken foot for most of the offseason, but the 7-foot-1 center has looked anything but rusty since finding his way onto the floor. He’s averaging 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per outing on 63.2 percent shooting.

The only player who has yet to live up to or exceed expectations early in the season is Edwards, who was at one point viewed as a top-five pick during the preseason. He’s averaging 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on 45.1 percent shooting but has hardly looked like the five-star recruit many saw in high school. That being said, Edwards’ intangibles, length, and potential continue to keep him on the radars of NBA teams.