Jay Bilas claims college programs don't 'produce' NBA players. John Calipari disagrees

Ask Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari, and he will say that a path to the pros can lead you through Lexington.

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas appears to disagree with the notion that a program — even an upper-echelon program such as Kentucky — will send players to the NBA. 

Calipari took exception with Bilas' comments at a press conference held after this year's NBA draft.

"I don't agree," he said. "What about Tyler Herro? What about Eric Bledsoe?"

In this year's draft, three Wildcats were selected in the first round. The Charlotte Hornets chose PJ Washington with the 12th overall selection. One pick later, the Miami Heat drafted Herro 13th overall, giving Kentucky back-to-back draft picks. Keldon Johnson was a late first-round pick, going 29th to the San Antonio Spurs. 

The list of NBA players that have come out of Kentucky reads like a who's who, including Anthony Davis, who recently was the centerpiece of an agreed-upon trade that will send him from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers. Karl-Anthony Towns, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are also among the notable Wildcats who donned Kentucky blue under Calipari. 

"I think there's a culture that we have and a system, a process that we have of developing them with an idea of what the end result is — trying to win," Calipari said. 

He also said that 75% of draftees from Kentucky land second and third contracts in the NBA.

With Kentucky's recent trio of NBA draft selections, the number of UK draft picks in the Calipari era now stands at 38, along with 29 first-round draftees.