Kentucky freshman shooting guard Devin Booker will enter this year draft, sources tell Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link). Kentucky coach John Calipari indicated earlier this week that he and Dakari Johnson were on the fence, but with Johnson also reportedly headed for the draft, it appears the Wildcats will be sending seven underclassmen to the pros this year. The Wildcats prospects are set to formally announce their decisions within the hour.
Booker is the 17th-ranked prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress ratings, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 19th. Calipari somewhat curiously used the 6’6″ 18-year-old as a reserve behind Aaron Harrison, who appears at best to be a second-round prospect. Still, Booker, who turns 19 in October, saw a fair amount of playing time in Kentucky’s platoon system, racking up 10.0 points in 21.5 minutes per game. He shot 41.1% from behind the arc, and that’s a key to his game, as he struggles getting to the rim, as Ford notes in his profile.
He’s was No. 13 in the latest Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Power Rankings, which debuted before the NCAA Tournament, and Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors wrote then that the postseason would serve as a stage for him to truly make his mark as a long-distance threat. Booker failed to seize the opportunity, going just 4 for 15 in Kentucky’s first four tournament games, and he didn’t attempt a three-pointer in the team’s loss to Wisconsin in the national semifinals.