By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JUNE 30, 2015 – Orlando Antigua knows what it takes to get to the top of the basketball world.
Prior to becoming a Bull, Antigua coached an eye-catching total of 28 players that got to live the dream as NBA Draft picks.
Antigua said he was fortunate to be able to celebrate with four of his former Kentucky pupils last week at the NBA Draft in New York. Antigua was an assistant and valuable recruiter on John Calipari's staff at Kentucky from 2009-14 and coached top pick Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota), Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 6, Sacramento), Andrew Harrison (No. 44, Phoenix, traded to Memphis) and Dakari Johnson (No. 48, Oklahoma City).
“It was very rewarding to see families reach their dreams,” Antigua said. “Their sacrifice, their hard work with many years of shoveling kids to AAU tournaments is rewarding. To finally get to hear their son get his name called at the highest level of basketball, just to be a witness to that was special.”
Antigua helped guide 23 Kentucky Wildcats to the pro stage after coaching two future NBA Draft picks with Calipari at Memphis and three more at Pittsburgh.
“I was blessed and excited to be a small part of a group that was able to coach these guys,” Antigua said. “Having that experience of teaching, developing and working with that kind of talent, I think it's really going to serve us in working with our kids here at USF.”
Antigua, a second-year Bull, looks forward to coaching more future NBA Drafts picks at USF. The nationally recognized recruiter dished out just what it takes to reach the highest stage in the sport earlier this week.
“It's a work capacity, it's a mentality. It's a passion for learning. There are traits of discipline, sacrifice, being coachable, taking in what people are trying to deposit in their lives and their games,” Antigua said. “Those things transcend. Now do they come in with talent, athletic ability and all that stuff? Yes, but all those other factors helped for the five, six years I've been around those kids. It should be no different here.”
Here is a complete list of NBA Draft picks coached by Antigua:
|
Name
|
School
|
Draft Selection
|
|
Eric Bledsoe
|
Kentucky
|
No. 18
|
|
DeJuan Blair
|
Pittsburgh
|
No. 37
|
|
Willie Cauley-Stein
|
Kentucky
|
No. 6
|
|
DeMarcus Cousins
|
Kentucky
|
No. 5
|
|
Anthony Davis
|
Kentucky
|
No. 1
|
|
Robert Dozier
|
Memphis
|
No. 60
|
|
Tyreke Evans
|
Memphis
|
No. 4
|
|
Archie Goodwin
|
Kentucky
|
No. 29
|
|
Aaron Gray
|
Pittsburgh
|
No. 49
|
|
Josh Harrellson
|
Kentucky
|
No. 45
|
|
Andrew Harrison
|
Kentucky
|
No. 44
|
|
Dakari Johnson
|
Kentucky
|
No. 48
|
|
Terrence Jones
|
Kentucky
|
No. 18
|
|
Enes Kanter
|
Kentucky
|
No. 3
|
|
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
|
Kentucky
|
No. 2
|
|
Brandon Knight
|
Kentucky
|
No. 8
|
|
Doron Lamb
|
Kentucky
|
No. 42
|
|
DeAndre Liggins
|
Kentucky
|
No. 53
|
|
Darius Miller
|
Kentucky
|
No. 46
|
|
Nerlens Noel
|
Kentucky
|
No. 6
|
|
Daniel Orton
|
Kentucky
|
No. 29
|
|
Patrick Patterson
|
Kentucky
|
No. 14
|
|
Julius Randle
|
Kentucky
|
No. 7
|
|
Marquis Teague
|
Kentucky
|
No. 29
|
|
Karl-Anthony Towns
|
Kentucky
|
No. 1
|
|
John Wall
|
Kentucky
|
No. 1
|
|
James Young
|
Kentucky
|
No. 17
|
|
Sam Young
|
Pittsburgh
|
No. 36
|
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