DeAndre Liggins knew he was entering the draft after the North Carolina corner dagger

DeAndre Liggins said he still gets chills watching his corner three-pointer against North Carolina, a dagger to send Kentucky to the Final Four in 2011. With the Wildcats up by one in the final minute of the Elite Eight, he turned a broken play into a four-point lead and what would become a 76-69 victory and the end of the program’s 13-year drought playing in the final weekend.

But did you know that corner-pocket three with 35.6 seconds to go was also the moment he knew he was going to enter the 2011 NBA Draft?

“I wish I would’ve stayed for my senior year — (Doron Lamb) throws it in my face all the time (that he won a national championship in 2012), but when I made the shot against North Carolina, I knew I was leaving,” Liggins said.

He had gone for eight points, two steals and a block in the opening round against Princeton, followed by three points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks against West Virginia. Then against No. 1 overall seed Ohio State, he went for 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks to help pull off the upset before adding 12 points, four assists, three steals, two rebounds and a block against North Carolina — including the biggest shot of his career.

Outside of a national championship, Liggins feels he accomplished everything he ever wanted both individually and as a team. Now, it was time to focus on his family.

“Before that, I just felt like I had a great tournament. That shot kind of capped it off,” he told KSR. “I just wish we could have won the championship that year, but obviously we lost to Connecticut in the Final Four. That kind of capped it off for me to experience the NBA and take care of my family.”

When he thinks of his time at Kentucky, that tournament run — especially his corner three against the Tar Heels — is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s something no one can ever take away from him, his defining moment as a Wildcat.

For that, he is grateful.

“Making the big shot against North Carolina to get us to the Final Four, that’s my favorite moment — with the Coach Cal hug. That was a big relief, a big conclusion of my time here at Kentucky,” Liggins said. “That was just a great feeling. … That tournament altogether, I had good games against Ohio State, Princeton and that shot against North Carolina. … It’s just the defining moment of my time here. It’s just a really positive thing.”

He felt it was time to take care of his loved ones after that point, but maybe things had gone differently with NIL? Then he could’ve returned with Lamb to help the Wildcats hang banner No. 8 — as if that team needed any additional firepower.

“I definitely feel like — if I wasn’t a first-rounder. If I had the opportunity to go first round, for sure, I would have left instead of me going second round,” he told KSR. “But with all that said, if NIL was in play, I probably would have been here four years.”

What would his asking price have been?

“I would probably say a good number for me is $250,000,” Liggins said.

Quite the bargain for an SEC All-Defensive Team and NCAA All-Region Team member.