UK’s Bledsoe Among Six To Workout For HEAT

Miami 6/4 – Former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe spent his lone season at UK playing in the shadow of consensus No. 1 draft pick John Wall. Not much has changed since declaring for the NBA. Now, he’s trying to convince the HEAT, as well as the 29 other teams, that this year’s talent pool of guards is deeper than his former Wildcat teammate. 

However, the 6-1, 190-pound guard has no gripes about his time playing alongside Wall at Kentucky. In fact, he reminded the media on Friday that he had the opportunity to play elsewhere when getting recruited out of Parker High in Alabama. 

“I could’ve gone anywhere, but that’s a part of making sacrifices,” he said. “I just wanted to do one thing, and that’s win a national championship. I couldn’t go anywhere and win one by myself. You have to have people around you that can play.” 

Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight of this year's NCAA Tournament.  

“Playing off the ball helped my game, and playing with John Wall helped as well,” he said. 

Bledsoe was one of six players to workout for the HEAT at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday. The other five were Kansas guard Xavier Henry, Nevada guard Armon Johnson, Texas guard Avery Bradley, Jr., Fresno State forward Paul George, and UConn forward Stanley Robinson. 

Among the group of guards, only one, Henry, is a pure shooting guard. The other three are considered combo guards or “tweeners”.  

Bledsoe, who split time between the point and shooting guard positions at Kentucky, says he’s more than capable of running an NBA team. But he also admits it’s a challenge to prove that during limited team workouts.  

“It’s kind of tough to show I can play the one,” he said. “I’ve played point guard all my life, so that’s the position I’m most comfortable with. I think I’m a better pure point guard. I still have some point guard in me.” 

According to ESPN’s Chad  Ford, Bledsoe is the second listed point guard taken behind Wall  in his most recent mock draft .