For Kentucky's Kidd-Gilchrist, family comes first

ATLANTA - At first glance, it's an ordinary wedding picture. There's a bride and groom with family and friends.

And there's a smiling 9-year-old - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. This framed picture is arguably the Kentucky freshman forward's most prized possession.

So much so that the Somerdale native never leaves a city without it. It sits in his locker in Lexington, Ky., when the Wildcats are home. It's with him here at a downtown hotel as top-seeded Kentucky faces third-seeded Baylor in Sunday's South Regional final at the Georgia Dome. And it will be with Kidd-Gilchrist next weekend in New Orleans if the Wildcats advance to their 15th Final Four.

Darrin Kidd, the groom celebrating his wedding in the photo, is Kidd-Gilchrist's late uncle. He died of a heart attack on Nov. 10, 2010, just hours before his nephew signed a national letter of intent to play at Kentucky. Kidd-Gilchrist changed his name from Gilchrist last summer as a way to honor Kidd, who served as his surrogate father for a time after his father, Michael Gilchrist, was fatally shot in Camden in 1996. The case is still unsolved.

"I made a promise to him the day before I left [for Kentucky] when I went to the cemetery by myself," a teary-eyed Kidd-Gilchrist said of Kidd. "I made a promise to him that I would take care of [Kidd's son] DeAnte [Kidd] like he took care of me."

Kidd meant and still means everything to Kidd-Gilchrist. Without his uncle and other family members in that photo, the 6-foot-7, 232-pounder said he would not be one of college basketball's best players.

"That's why I'm so quiet," he said. "I just think a lot more about my family and friends, because without [family and friends], I would be stuck, I think. I would be home [in Camden County] doing nothing with my life."

A family's love and guidance is just part of Kidd-Gilchrist's story. The 18-year-old is also the unquestioned leader and fan favorite of arguably the nation's best team. He's also someone projected as a can't-miss lottery pick if he opts to enter the 2012 NBA draft.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported Thursday that, according to multiple sources, Kidd-Gilchrist will indeed enter the draft this year.

The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names for NBA draft consideration in April 10.

Denying the report, Kidd-Gilchrist said he has yet to decide.

"I don't know where they got that from," said Kidd-Gilchrist, who was angry about the ESPN report. "I'm focused on the [NCAA tournament] games right now. Once the season is over, I will sit down with my family and make a decision."

That's different from what he said after a victory over Vanderbilt on Feb. 25.

"I'm graduating here. I'm not going nowhere," Kidd-Gilchrist told reporters when asked if he planned on returning to Kentucky next season. "I'm dead serious. I don't know why you all are laughing."

But it would be a shock if he didn't decide to turn pro.

A second-team all-American, Kidd-Gilchrist has nothing else to prove in college.

DraftExpress.com has him going third overall in its latest 2012 NBA mock draft. NBAdraft.net projects that he'll be the fourth pick. Draft analyst Jim Clibanoff sees Kidd-Gilchrist as a top-five pick.

"Everything checks out, teammate-wise, personality-wise," said Clibanoff, who's also the president of ClibHoops, a scouting service used by many NBA teams. "He's a terrific kid with a terrific work ethic. So that makes the transition [to the NBA] so much easier. That minimizes the concern you might have for a kid that's only had one year."

Clibanoff can't say with any certainty that Kidd-Gilchrist will be the best player on an NBA team.

"But I can tell you that he's definitely got in place what it takes to be a very good contributor to a very good team," Clibanoff said. "Where some of these guys are so programmed to score, score, score, they go to the pro level and that's the only identity they can adopt."

It might be hard to find a player who does more for his team than Kidd-Gilchrist does for Kentucky.

He can effectively guard the one through four positions. He averages 11.8 points and a team-second-best 7.6 rebounds. And Kidd-Gilchrist was Kentucky's standout in Friday night's 102-90 victory over Indiana in a regional semifinal. He finished with a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds and was 10 for 10 from the foul line.

"He does all the little things for us to make us win," sophomore forward Terrence Jones said. "He tries to just go every play 100 percent - rebounding, defending the best player, running the court for breaks, just bringing our energy, diving for loose balls.

"He just gives a lot of extra stuff to us that just makes us just that much better."

Perhaps that's why Kentucky coach John Calipari told Kidd-Gilchrist on Tuesday night via a text message how much he loves coaching him.

"There's not a coach in this country at any level that wouldn't want to coach Michael Gilchrist, and it's showing," Calipari said. "You can say . . . but he doesn't do this, yeah, but they still want to coach him.

"I'm just so proud of how he's grown, not only as a basketball player, but socially."

Big Blue Nation idolizes Kidd-Gilchrist not only for his on-court ability but for being grounded and for his trademark smile.

On Thursday, nearby Kentucky fans watched in awe as he greeted his family in the team's hotel lobby. One excited woman, who was at least 50, asked to take his picture.

"He is just all class," said Oscar Combs, cohost of the UK Big Blue Radio Sports Network pregame show. "He came up to the coach [before the SEC championship game] and said, 'Coach, think we need to start [senior guard] Darius [Miller] over me. He needed a little pumping up.'

"Not many kids will do that. For him, it's all about two things: Winning and the team."

That's what Kidd would probably be most proud of.

He and his family showed what being a teammate is about when Michael Gilchrist was killed.

In addition to becoming a widow, Cindy Richardson instantly became the single parent of a 2-year-old son. But she was far from alone.

Her family stepped up and helped out.

Even years later, after Richardson married Kidd-Gilchrist's stepfather, Vincent Richardson, the family still helped raise him.

And Richardson's brother, Kidd, was one of the ringleaders.

"The day we found out his father was killed, I stayed with him," Richardson said of her brother. "And the first day I went back to work, my brother took it upon himself to move me out of where I lived and he moved me in with him."

Like Vincent Richardson, Kidd was also there to provide advice to his nephew. Kidd-Gilchrist sometimes talked to his uncle about things he didn't want to tell his mother and stepfather.

In addition to providing guidance, Kidd rarely missed one of his nephew's athletic events.

"By him changing his name to Kidd-Gilchrist, it just keeps me constantly reminded of the role that his uncle Darrin played in his life in nurturing him in basketball and in nurturing him toward manhood," Renee McCleary said of her grandson's taking her son's name. "And not just being his uncle, but being a surrogate dad for a time.

"But most importantly being Michael's friend. Sometimes Michael didn't like what [his uncle] said to him. But that's the thing about friends. A friend will always tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. That touches me in a real deep place."

Now, Kidd-Gilchrist is determined to pay back his uncle.

He and DeAnte have always been close. But now things are different.

"I got a role to play in his life," Michael said about being there for his 12-year-old cousin. "And I just have to man up and play my role like I'm supposed to."

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist talks about rumors that he will enter the NBA draft after this season.

philly.com/collegevideosEndText