After weeks of hearing positive news, Doron Lamb found it hard to believe that he could slip so far down in Thursday’s NBA Draft. He had made a pledge to enter the draft alongside fellow Kentucky starters Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Marquis Teague, but he became the last one of the group to be selected, going to the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 42 overall pick.

For Lamb, the slide came as a disappointment – never mind a surprise. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Lamb listened to the possibility of being selected in the first round. Several teams late in the first round worked out Lamb and believed he would be able to fill a need, while some mock drafts had pegged him as a first-rounder.

Yet, Lamb continued to fall, an outcome that came as a surprise to him and his camp as well as the Bucks’ organization. Still, he has supreme confidence in himself and promised that he would turn his draft slide into a positive.

“I was surprised, but things happen for a reason,” Lamb said Friday morning during his introductory press conference at the Bradley Center. “I’m glad I’m here and I’ve got great coaches, [a] great GM and great players, so I can’t wait to get out on the court with them and have fun.”

When asked about playing in a backcourt that includes high-scoring guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, Lamb spoke glowingly about the two and said: “Monta is an All-Star to me and Brandon is going to be an All-Star soon.”

Even though Lamb fell to a Bucks team that has picked in the lottery in five of the last eight drafts, six playoff teams from this past season showed heavy interest to select him. The Chicago Bulls were among the six teams, as their need for a sharpshooting two-guard has been well-documented.

“Boston, Atlanta, Indiana, Miami, Chicago and Memphis, they were all looking at me,” Lamb said.

Lamb averaged 13.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in his second and final season at Kentucky, shooting 46.6 percent from three-point range in just over four attempts per game. But he took only 9.2 shots per game, a sign that he has to elevate his aggressiveness at times and another reminder of the depth of talent on Kentucky. Lamb knows he needs to improve his all-around game – from shooting and ball handling to defense – and the 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard’s primary focus is to increase his body strength.

“I’m going to make sure [the team] has confidence in my game,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and work hard, make open shots, come off screens to make shots and create for my teammates.”