Oklahoma City Thunder take Kentucky’s Eric Bledsoe with 18th pick

Thunder take Kentucky’s Bledsoe with 18th pick

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe with the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft.

Bledsoe became the fourth Kentucky player taken in the draft after the Wildcats spent most of last season as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

The 6-foot-1 freshman set a school record with eight 3-pointers while scoring a career-high 29 points in Kentucky’s win against East Tennessee State in the NCAA tournament.

Bledsoe joins a backcourt that features Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha and last year’s first-round pick, James Harden.

The Thunder are coming off a season with a 27-win improvement that ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.