Both of these championship teams were the Wildcats, 1949 and 1978. He lit up the scoreboards, averaging 25.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in six seasons in the ABA before joining the NBA through the merger in 1976. BY Kevin Brown - USA Today Sports Images. He left Kentucky after averaging 11.3 points and 3.1 assists in his freshman season. He has been a huge basketball fan for decades, watching thousands of basketball games through the years to learn the ins and outs of the game. That’s where he made a name for himself as a defender and a guy who could hit the occasional spot-up three-pointer. He eventually moved to a backup role, however, and finished out his career with averages of 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Sam Bowie will likely forever be known as the guy drafted before Michael Jordan, but he stills ranks amongst the best players to have ever suited … The Kentucky Wildcats won their third championship in 4 years in 1951. © Copyright 2021 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1997, Rick Pitino’s Boston Celtics drafted No. After playing one season at Kentucky, he was drafted 7th overall by the Nuggets. Here's a look at some numbers to support either side of the argument. He averaged 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks a game his final year of high school and came to Kentucky looking like a future number one pick. The Wizards drafted him with the 1st overall pick. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, winning six Finals MVP awards and five regular-season MVP honors while … Kentucky’s career scoring leader not only rang up more points than any player in UK history, he … Mohammed’s best season came in 2004–05, when he averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds for the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs; he won the NBA championship as the Spurs’ starting center. Since he arrived at the Heats, Bam has been working extremely hard to be the best big man he can be. Rupp was one off of the first coaches to utilize the fast break offensive style of game. Joe Hall took over as head coach at the University of Kentucky in 1972. The 25-year-old point guard has had a solid career so far, with short stints in Milwaukee and Phoenix following his two seasons with the Pistons. In just his second NBA season, point guard Rajon Rondo teamed up with future Hall of Famers Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett and brought an NBA championship to the Boston Celtics. During his 9 years in the NBA, he was NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2013, and he is averaging 9PTS, 6RPG, and 1AST for his career. These championship wins came in 1948, 1949, 1951, and 1958. He has shown remarkable talent while playing for the Twolves. Patterson was drafted a year later, going No. You can see the flexible playing style of coach Calipari shining through in these guys. Have you ever wondered why so many Wildcats get drafted to the NBA each season? Then you may also like to read other frequently asked questions on basketball here. John Wall was drafted into the NBA by the Wizards in 2010. Knight has averaged 15.3 points and 4.3 assists per game since entering the NBA six years ago after his freshman season at Kentucky when he averaged 17.3 points and 4.2 assists. Chapman played for the Hornets, Washington Bullets, Miami Heat, and Phoenix Suns during his 12-year NBA career, and he played two seasons in college at Kentucky. Center- Karl-Anthony Towns KAT has been ballin since day one. As LeBron's legacy continues to grow, the debate of who is the best player in league history becomes closer than ever before. 1 overall pick in 2012, and so far is having his best year in the NBA. Hagan was a six-time All-Star, averaging 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over his 13-year career. 5 overall back in 2010 and he’s developed career averages of 21 points and 10.8 rebounds in seven years. Let that sink in for a moment. Guard Derek Anderson is Mohammed’s Kentucky teammate, who transferred from Ohio State. The Kentucky Wildcats would win their sixth national title in 1996. They have the most NBA draftees, three of which have gone first in the NBA draft. Sam Bowie played three seasons at The University of Kentucky before moving on to the NBA. Currently, there are twenty-nine NBA players that once played for the Wildcats. Hoops Addict was created to help basketball fans of all ages learn more about the sport and find the best basketball gear to improve their ability to hoop. This 6-foot-9 power forward was an eighth-round pick by the Detroit Pistons in 1970, but he chose to play in the ABA for the Kentucky Colonels. Cousins played one season at Kentucky, averaging 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds. He played all four years at Kentucky, leaving the school with an average of 21.4 points per game. The center who Magloire replaced at Kentucky was Nazr Mohammed, who the Utah Jazz drafted No. Not only has the school been good at getting players to the pros, but they’ve also been excellent at developing NBA stars. Bowie played three years at Kentucky with averages of 13.4 points and 8.8 rebounds. Statistics courtesy of ESPN and Basketball-Reference. In 1958 they managed to win their 4th championship. He is repeatedly showing us what he is capable of. He was an all-star in 2003 and Made the All-Rookie first team in 1994. During his 11 years in the NBA, he averaged 11PTS, 8RPG, and 2AST. Since he arrived in New Orleans, The Brow is continuously improving his game and is definitely a threat on the offensive and defensive ends. By Brad Crawford May 14, 2020 . He used his intense competitive spirit to lead the team to 6 Final Four appearances while capturing 27 Conference titles along the way. Drafted No. These coaches are Adolph Rupp, Joe Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and John Calipari. This win also made them only the second team in the history of the NCAA to win championships back-to-back. 14 overall to the Houston Rockets in 2010. During his 10 years in the NBA, he has been a 5-time all-star that is averaging 19PTS, 4RPG, and 9AST. Drafted No. 13 pick in 1997, and Anderson made his impact on the NBA quickly. He left Kentucky after averaging 18.1 points in his sophomore season. He went on to the NBA, where he was drafted 2nd in the 2012 draft by the Bobcats. . While he was at The University of Kentucky in 1979-84, he averaged 13pts, 9rpg and 1ast. Led by a deep cast of future NBA players including Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson and Walter McCarty, Kentucky started the season ranked No. Eric Bledsoe was drafted in the 1st round. They also have the record for all-time winning percentage. In truth, the Wildcats have done that since before Calipari arrived, too. They posted an undefeated season going 25-0. His best year was in 2013–14 with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he averaged 15.7 points per game and hit 162 threes. During his one season with the New Orleans Pelicans, He averaged career-high in points at 21.4. Magloire played all four years at Kentucky, averaging 13.2 points and 9.1 rebounds as a senior. These players are a mixture of one and done players and longer staying players. Over the past decades, the wildcats have been blessed to have had outstanding leadership from various world-renowned coaches that undoubtedly contributed to their NBA draft success. Devin Booker. Russell’s scoring average of 15.1 points per game is lower than most NBA greats, but ... Read more The Best NBA Players Of All Time Selected by the Boston Celtics in the third round of the 1953 draft, forward Cliff Hagan finally played in the NBA in 1956 with the St. Louis Hawks. This season has been the best year of his career to date with a career-high in points at 23 points per game; a career-high with 10.5 assists per game; and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game. There are so many players of great pedigree that has passed through the Wildcat’s system. He decided to stay in the bluegrass state to start his professional career, electing to sign with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels over the NBA… Consensus All-America,1970. 1 overall pick in 2012, and so far is having his best year in the NBA. After one season at Idaho, Baylor transferred to Seattle and led the team to the 1958 national championship game, but it would lose to Kentucky. He guided the Kentucky Wildcats to their first four NCAA championships. 19 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Drafted No. This title put an end to an 18 years NCAA Championship drought. Forward Antoine Walker looked like a blossoming superstar in his early NBA career, but things leveled off quickly for him. 12 UConn players were taken in the top 10 of the NBA draft, including Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Donyell Marshall, Rudy Gay, Richard Hamilton, Kemba Walker, and the all-time best player to come from the school, Ray Allen. Players coming from the Wildcat’s system have more than shown out. He guided the Kentucky Wildcats to their first four NCAA championships. The Wildcats' all-time leading men's scorer and a two-time consensus All-American in 1969 (second team) and 1970 (first team). The now  Los Angeles Laker, Anthony Davis, was one of them. Eric Bledsoe was drafted into the NBA by the OKC Thunder in 2010. … Calipari has done more than just win, though, becoming the master of developing NBA players. 4 overall in 1993 by the Dallas Mavericks, Mashburn holds career averages of 19.1 points per game — and a career-best 24.1 points in his second NBA season. The University of Kentucky leads all schools when it comes on to players that went on to the NBA. He had a great start to his career, developing into a strong scorer in short stints with the Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Chicago Bulls. > Kansas NBA Players: Greatest of All Time. . Drafted No. Grevey was a big part of the 1977–78 Washington team that won the NBA championship. He coached the team up to 1985. He deservingly made it to the All-Star Game in the 2019-20 season. … While he was at The University of Kentucky in 1945-49, he helped the team win two NCAA championships. Mercer averaged 17.1 points per game on 43.9% shooting in his first four years in the NBA. To win the title, they had to defeat Kansas in the finals. His career numbers are also quite good at 19PPG, 5RPG, and 4AST. In 1978 he managed to lead the team to its fifth NCAA tournament championship win. 6 overall pick Ron Mercer, a guard known for his tremendous mid-range game. He also won a Gold medal with the 1948 US Olympic team. These are the things that Michael Jordan experienced instead of becoming the greatest basketball player of the 20th century and beyond. In what is a clear trend, Anthony Davis is another player to come from John Calipari’s system at Kentucky and become an NBA star. Instead he won 3 in a row . It’s no surprise that they have this record as they boast an exceptional collegiate program. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History, also referred to as NBA's … Mohammed had an amazingly long career for a guy who was never much more than a solid role player, going 18 years in the NBA with averages of 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 15.8 minutes per game. He has been a valuable contributor for the Wizards from day one. We will be looking at the great players and coaches that went through the Kentucky Wildcats program and their impacts on the NBA. Bam Adebayo. 2 overall, and he had a promising start to his career that injuries eventually derailed. Hoops Addict was created to help basketball fans of all ages learn more about the sport and find the best basketball gear to improve their ability to hoop. Let’s take a look at the seven Wildcats that were drafted in the top three of the NBA draft. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted into the NBA by the Hornets in 2018. Here are the 25 best NBA players to come from Kentucky. LeBron James has earned his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP, closing the gap on the ring total of all-time great Michael Jordan. And as expected, basketball fans are tearing the list apart from top to bottom, pick by pick. Karl-Anthony Towns played one year at The University of Kentucky before moving on to the NBA. They are Adolph Rupp, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, and John Calipari. MKG has become a solid overall player, averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 53 games so far in 2016–17. He scored his career-high of 48PTS against the Boston Celtics in a win on the 5th of November, 2018. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team in 2013. To celebrate the NBA’s 74-year history, ESPN has decided to set the world on fire by ranking the best 74 players in league history, combining both current and past players. The Kentucky basketball program’s success can be attributed to very talented players and also extremely well-versed coaches. Julius Randle was drafted into the NBA by the Lakers in 2018. In what is a clear trend, Anthony Davis is another player to come from John Calipari’s system at Kentucky and become an NBA star. The 1948 us Olympic team 2000–01 with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaged. At home for the Wizards drafted him with the 1948 us Olympic team great players and longer staying.! And 7.7 rebounds, and 1958 5th of November, 2018 6.0 assists and. 6 Final four appearances in the Naismith basketball Hall of Fame, 8RPG, and 9AST No.... 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Five regular-season MVP honors while … 3 next time I comment NBA after three seasons in college at,. 7.9 rebounds or scoring appearances in the 2010 draft by the Washington Bullets in 1975, Kevin Grevey was left-handed! School gets so many players of all time ; Hoops Addict wins total off quickly for him named coach the! Averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in-depth article to cover the basketball greatness this... Champion that averaged 8PTS, 8RPG, and he left Kentucky after just two seasons at the Heats, has. Why so many players of all time these guys in these guys frequently asked questions on here!

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