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Nerlens Noel is the presumptive #1 overall pick. Just ask his coach.
In an interview with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, John Calipari enumerated many reasons why he believes that, and was also extremely flattering towards the Cavaliers' organization.
"The reason Calipari wants Noel to wind up in Cleveland has more to do with his respect for Cavs General Manager Chris Grant and his staff when it comes to their draft history.
"They haven't made mistakes,'' Calipari said in a telephone interview on Wednesday, one day after the Cavs won the lottery to earn the No. 1 pick for the second time in three years. "If they pick him, in all likelihood, history tells you something: It's not a mistake, which means it's good for my kid."
He also went on to mention that Chris Grant extensively scouted the Wildcats this season, and therefore should know what Noel can bring to the table.
"Chris Grant has been in our building more than any other GM. That's no disrespect to any other GM. That's just a fact. He and his staff are very thorough in what they've done. That's why I say I hope he gets drafted by them.''
The final interesting thing is that Calipari seems pretty confident about Noel putting on weight in the future.
"My hope is they take Nerlens because they do their research and say, 'We need that shot blocker behind what we have. ... We know he's going to gain 40 pounds. We know the trajectory.' They know where he was at the beginning of the year and they know how much he improved because they were here. They saw it. I don't have to explain anything to Chris.''
One has to wonder how much of this is posturing from Calipari, hoping his own player is the first overall pick. However, Chris Grant being in their gym a lot bodes well for the Cavs making the correct decision and selecting Noel with that pick. Finally, it's awesome that a guy of Calipari's stature is a big fan of where the Cavaliers are headed in the future, and it'll be fun watching this team grow together with the basketball world watching.