Kentucky's TyTy Washington selected No. 29 overall by the Houston Rockets

TyTy Washington is taking his talents to Houston, as the Rockets have selected the former Kentucky guard with the No. 29 pick in the first round.

Washington is the second former Wildcat to come off the board this evening, with Shaedon Sharpe previously selected No. 7 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 6-foot-3 guard finished his one-and-done season in 2021-22 averaging 12.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. He finished the year scoring in double figures 20 times, including five games of 20 or more points. His most brilliant performance as a Wildcat came in Kentucky’s blowout home win over Tennessee, a 28-point effort on 10-13 shooting and 2-4 from three to go with five assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Prior to his time in Lexington, he earned Arizona state player of the year honors and led AZ Compass Prep to a 30-2 record his senior year. He chose Kentucky over Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, LSU and Oregon out of high school.

“To Big Blue Nation, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of you for embracing me and my family like your own this past year,” Washington announced as he entered the NBA Draft. “From Coach Cal, to everyone involved with Kentucky basketball, I can’t thank you enough for the support. The experience and the knowledge I can carry forward from my time here at Kentucky will help me be a better man and player moving forward.  

“The fans have supported me through the ups and downs of this past season, and I am proud to say I will always be a member of Big Blue Nation. … Leaving Kentucky won’t be easy, but I am ready for the challenges ahead and know I am ready based on my experiences here in Lexington. Thank you again to the fans, the coaches, all the supporters of Kentucky Basketball and most importantly the people who helped me get here, my mom and my dad.”

Kentucky head coach John Calipari believes the best is yet to come with Washington.

“TyTy is a play-making guard who has the ability to play on the ball or off and still impact the game in a variety of ways,” Calipari said. “We’ve had a number of players leave here and be successful at the next level who are in a similar mode as TyTy. I’m excited for TyTy and his family because I know with his work ethic, his ability to play within himself and allow the game to come to him, that he will have the opportunity to be another one of our guys to find success in that league. TyTy’s best days as a basketball player are in front of him and he and his family know that they have my full support as he chases his dreams.”

After a successful freshman campaign at Kentucky, TyTy Washington is now a Rocket.