John Calipari: 'If an NBA team would lie to me, you’re not coming in my gym'

Michael Singer | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Standout prospects at the 2018 NBA draft combine SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Scott Gleeson fills you in on which prospects are impressing at the NBA draft combine in Chicago.

CHICAGO — Consider Kentucky coach John Calipari in fact-finding mode.

This year, as he does most every year, Cal has several prospects taking part in the NBA draft combine in Chicago. Here, their measurements will be scrutinized, their interviews parsed, their value assessed.

His two best prospects, both freshmen, are guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and stretch forward Kevin Knox. Both have excellent length and are likely lottery picks. Calipari said he helps those players in terms of finding accurate information about their potential draft range only if their agents want it.

But it’s the leverage Calipari uses for Kentucky’s other prospects, such as guard Hamidou Diallo and forward PJ Washington, that’s his biggest benefit at this stage. Washington, for instance, measured well at the combine and had a double-double in Thursday’s 5-on-5 action.

“PJ really helped himself, so now I gotta go call the 30th pick, the 29th pick, I gotta go down the line so he has real information of who’s real,” Calipari said. “They told me he played real well.”

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Speaking more generally, Calipari expanded on his obligation to his players who aren't likely lottery picks when it comes to the draft process. Players have until May 30 to remove their name from the draft in order to maintain eligibility.

“I gotta make sure that he has an opportunity in the first round if that’s what he chooses to do, and someone’s not lying to him and then they’re going to take him at 50. That’s what I’m here for to make sure because if an NBA team would lie to me, you’re not coming in my gym,” Calipari said. "So the guys, they’re not coming out and telling me we’re taking, but they’re going to be honest. The guys that I know in this league, they know I give them carte blanche in our building at the games, whatever they need.

"I’m not holding these kids back but just be honest, don’t drag a kid in this that doesn’t need to be in it. And most of the guys here, I’ll probably call 10 or 12 teams for them and they’ll be honest, and if there’s really interest in four of them, I’m going to sit down with them and just say, ‘look, there’s four teams that I think there’s a chance that will take you in the first round.’”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Michael Singer on Twitter @msinger.