Patrick Patterson’s Departure to the NBA is News to Patrick Patterson

We mentioned it in the post regarding next season’s All-American candidates, but Kentucky announced five players were headed to the NBA on Wednesday. The group included four freshmen -- John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton -- and junior Patrick Patterson.↵↵Here’s the thing: Patterson hasn’t filed his papers and his mother, Tywanna Patterson, is none too happy:↵

↵↵⇥Wednesday night, [Tywanna Patterson] started getting text messages, voice mails and phone calls from friends congratulating her on her son, Patrick, leaving UK for the NBA.↵⇥↵⇥“I thought, ‘What are you talking about.’ Then I found out UK released a statement saying Patrick and the four freshmen are leaving for the NBA and will declare for the draft,” said Tywanna Patterson Wednesday night. “I said, ‘Really, nobody told me.”↵⇥

↵⇥↵⇥She tried to call her son but could not get him to answer his cell phone. Next she called DeWayne Peevy of the UK sports information office. He told her the statement from UK “wasn’t official” but that coach John Calipari had released a statement that the freshmen along with Patrick would be declaring for the NBA draft and leaving UK.↵⇥

↵⇥↵⇥Once her son called her back, he told her he still intended to think about it a “week or two and then make a decision” just as they planned.↵⇥

↵↵↵Patterson’s mother also said she thinks “it is [Calipari’s] way to get recruits to commit and wants to make sure they know John, DeMarcus, Daniel and Eric are gone along with Patrick.” According to this report, Patterson has not hired an agent.↵

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↵↵All of this fuss is probably for nothing. If Patterson stays in school, it would be a shock, considering sites like NBAdraft.net and DraftExpress.com both have Patterson in the lottery. But this is his life and it’s his call. If he didn’t want to be part of Wednesday’s announcement, he should’ve had that option. Three years in Lexington should’ve at least bought him that courtesy.↵

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