Immanuel Quickley (Jeff Houchin Photo)
Considering the year he had for the University of Kentucky before the pandemic stopped play, it seems that Immanuel Quickley should be generating more buzz before the NBA draft later this month. The former Kentucky guard is projected as mid to late second-round draft pick by most mock drafts.
Could Quickley become the next UK guard to prove the draft analysts wrong? Both Devin Booker, who is clearly a NBA star, and Tyler Herro, who emerged as one in the playoff bubble to end his rookie year, both went late in the lottery — 13th — but have played like much higher picks.
The 6-4 Quickley has met twice with the Oklahoma City, Detroit, Miami and the New York Knicks. Some of the other teams who has reportedly met with Quickley include the Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, Bucks, Magic, Pelicans and Celtics.
Quickley went into his sophomore season after averaging just 5.2 points per game as a freshman. He came off the bench to start the season as coach John Calipari started Ashton Hagans and Tyrese Maxey at guards.
“Last year we went to three guards. I wasn’t doing that early in the year, but as the year went on, I just said, ‘Immanuel Quickley, he needs to be starting,'” Calipari said last week during a Zoom call with media members. “That means somebody else couldn’t start. (Quickley) ended up being (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year in our league, but he trusted me to figure it out.”
Quickley led Kentucky in scoring last season at 16.1 points per game. He also made a team-high 62 3-pointers and hit 42.8 percent from 3-point range, again the best on the team. In addition to that, he shot 92.3 percent (144 of 156) at the foul line. Those numbers made him an easy pick as SEC Player of the Year, especially with the clutch shots he made for the Cats.
“He’s right up there with the hardest workers spending the most time in the gym, most committed players that I’ve ever had,” Calipari said.
That’s when Calipari offered his normal pre-draft friendly advice to NBA executives.
“You better give him a second, third, or fourth look before you pass on him because he’s another one (of quality guards produced at UK),” Calipari said.
Herro’s meteoric rise in the NBA playoffs might help Quickley’s draft status. Quickley has always been a pass-first guard but his scoring and shooting ability are givens. I became a believer when I watched him win the 3-point contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
“He spaces the court because he’s making 3’s. It’s what everybody knows. Where’s the league is going right now? You better be able to make 3’s. If you can’t, you better have some unbelievable talent, you better have ESP or something like that if you can’t shoot. The game has changed,” Calipari said.
ESPN NBA draft analyst Mike Schmitz calls Quickley “one of the best shooters in the draft” who has a high basketball IQ.
“Understands who he is as a player and knows how to add value in a variety of different situations,” Schmitz posted on Twitter.
Guessing that former UK assistant coach Kenny Payne made have left the New York Knicks, his new boss, knows plenty about Quickley as the Knicks prepare for the draft. Remember Quickley scored in double figures his final 20 games at UK and had at least one 3 in the last 11 games.
Quickly played with first-round NBA picks Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson his first year at UK. His sophomore year he had Maxey and Ashton Hagans.
He improved his defense dramatically as a sophomore even as he continued to hit big shots UK needed.
If that’s not enough to intrigue NBA teams, Quickley has a high character. He won’t be a problem in the NBA. His mother is a high school educator, his father is a minister. His faith plays a prominent role in his life and he’s never been one to put in extra work in the gym on his own.
Calipari knows all that and understands that’s why Quickley could turn out to be the next UK player to far exceed expectations some have when he gets to show what he can do in the NBA.
Also don’t forget that Miami has had success with two recent UK picks – Herro and Bam Adebayo. They both went in the first round but maybe this time Miami goes for the second-round steal with Quickley.
