Kentucky basketball players have left a lasting legacy in Lexington, but none loom larger than these five who make up the Kentucky all-time starting lineup.
Kentucky basketball is college basketball royalty.
Dating back to Adolph Rupp — the namesake for Rupp Arena — patrolled the sidelines the Wildcats have been a mainstay atop the NCAA hierarchy. Big Blue Nation is one of the most dedicated fan bases in the country and for the majority of their lives, they’ve been spoiled with a highly talented roster.
That’s been bolstered over the past decade as John Calipari brought a new class of elite “one-and-done” prospects to Lexington during his tenure as head coach. Coach Cal’s player’s first approach has helped Kentucky hold on to its status as one of the top programs in collegiate sports.
The Wildcats have a history behind their college basketball program that few other schools can match. Their teams are constantly used as a measuring stick for other universities to see where they stand in comparison to a team that is perennially one of the contenders to bring home a national title.
As is the case with all lists, there were, unfortunately, some names (and pretty big ones at that given the university we’re talking about) that had to be left off. The toughest battles came at the point guard and center position where cases can be made for multiple players to be worthy of having their name placed on the slides that follow. Below you’ll find the names of the 10 players that came closest to being chosen as a member of the Wildcats’ all-time starting lineup.
Honorable Mention: Sam Bowie, DeMarcus Cousins, Rex Chapman, De’Aaron Fox, Tayshaun Prince, Julius Randle, Pat Riley, Rajon Rondo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Antoine Walker
SG – Tony Delk
Comparing the names that littered the honorable mention section to Tony Delk may have some readers scratching their heads. Yet, over the four years that he spent with the University of Kentucky Delk did more than enough to earn his spot as a member of this group. He came to Lexington after winning Mr. Basketball in Tennessee following his senior season and was also chosen as a Parade and McDonald’s All-American.
Delk’s first season with the Wildcats wasn’t much, he played less than 10 minutes per game and averaged less than five points per game. However, every year after that he saw his averages climb to over 25 minutes and 16 points per game. At 6-foot-1, he was on the shorter side for a shooting guard but positions aside Delk was just a pure basketball player. He could, dribble, pass, shoot and defend with the best of them and as he matured so too did his game.
He saved his best for last. During the 1995-96 season, he was the best player on a team that would go on to win the national title that year. In four of the six games that Kentucky played in the tournament Delk scored 20 or more points, including 24 in the championship game. His ability to consistently produce when called upon is what made him a staple of the Wildcats program.
Delk would leave the school as much more than just a national champion. He also took home the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award in 1996. To go along with that he was a consensus All-American and SEC Player of the Year that season as well. Delk was also chosen to the All-SEC team three times. His double zero jersey was retired by the school.
C – Dan Issel
This spot in the all-time lineup had the most competition. Just in the last decade, the team has had DeMarcus Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns suit up for Kentucky basketball. There aren’t many schools that can say they ever had two players that talented ever play for them. Yet, neither of them beat out Dan Issel — a champion of bringing professional basketball back to the state — for this spot in the end.
Dan Issel played for Coach Rupp from 1967-1970 and in that time he managed to average a double-double for each season, culminating in a ludicrous 33.9 points and 13 rebounds per game during his final year with the team. He holds two of the three best single-game scoring totals in Kentucky history with 53 and 51 points.
During his freshmen season, Rupp called a timeout when the team continued to ignore Issel in the post and during it, the coach told the team, “This guy is going to be Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer by the time he’s through here. I thought you might like to meet him”. Rupp’s words would ring true as Issel’s 2,138 career points place him as the school’s all-time leading scorer to this day.
For all of the individual skills that Issel had, the team was never able to reach a Final Four. They won the SEC each year but sputtered out during the NCAA Tournament. Nevertheless, Issel was a two-time consensus All-American and three-time All-SEC selection. He might not have had as much success after leaving Lexington as others on this list but now he still holds over 20 Kentucky school records.
SF – Jamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn is easily an all-time member of any list involving Kentucky basketball. Mashburn came in and contributed right away for the team in the 1990-91 season. He had the size and skill to immediately make his presence felt when he was on the floor. He would end up staying in Lexington for three seasons, improving and growing his game each year along the way.
By his sophomore year, he became a true star for the school. His scoring numbers nearly jumped by 10 points from his first season and he shot 56.7 percent from the field and 43.9 percent on 3-pointers. He wasn’t a one-trick pony either, he also held his own on the defensive end of the court too. Mashburn was a great individual defender and even had his moments as a rim-protector and shot-blocker.
He ultimately was unable to get the Wildcats a national championship banner but it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying. He missed the NCAA Tournament his freshman season but the next two seasons saw the team make it to the Elite Eight and Final Four. Mashburn is currently ranked fourth on the school’s all-time scoring leaderboard.
His number 24 is also retired in the rafters of Rupp Arena. He was also a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year and a three-time All-SEC selection during his career with Kentucky. “Monster Mash” is someone who Big Blue Nation loved and still shows tremendous amounts of respect for ever since he left after the 1992-93 season.
PG – John Wall
John Wall’s recruitment was one of the first big moments of Coach Calipari’s time at Kentucky. Being able to snatch Wall out of North Carolina and away from the likes of North Carolina and Duke put the rest of the college basketball world on notice that the Wildcats meant business. Wall was considered the top overall recruit in his class by Rivals and the five-star prospect was expected to come in and make noise right away.
However, there was a minor delay to his debut after he was suspended for two games by the NCAA after receiving improper benefits from an agent while he was in high school. Yet, when he did return to action he turned heads immediately. He put up 27 points and nine assists in an exhibition game and then made the game-winning shot in Kentucky’s opening game. The 6-foot-4 speedster was showing again and again that he arrived in Lexington as billed.
His combination of size and athleticism made him a tough player to defend for just about any opponent. Wall only played for the Wildcats for a single season but in that year he made sure that he would be remembered. He set the school record for assists in a single game with 16. On a team that featured seven other players who would play in NBA — aside from Wall (first overall) three more were taken in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft — he was clearly the best player on the floor.
Wall was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. He was a consensus All-American, a member of the All-SEC team, SEC Rookie of the Year, SEC Player of the Year and took home the Rupp Trophy. What took others years to do, Wall did in a few months.
PF – Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis was a late-bloomer in terms of high school recruiting. In one summer he went from a gangly 6-foot point guard as a freshman to a dominant 6-foot-11 forward as a senior. He was easily considered the top player in his high school class and Kentucky swooped in and grabbed him.
While many of the other players in this fictional starting lineup but up jaw-dropping averages at one time or another in Lexington, Davis’, by comparison, look mundane. 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game while playing 32 minutes a night don’t scream all-time great. However, his defense truly separated him from his peers as well as any other player on this team.
He averaged 4.7 blocks per game (best in the NCAA) and set the single-season blocks record for the SEC and NCAA Division I. He didn’t just turn away opponents at the rim though, he could also switch onto guards and stall them away from the basket.
He impacted the game just by simply being on the court. He could score at will and keep the other team from scoring on every possession. He was the catalyst for all the good things that the Wildcats and Big Blue Nation experienced that season. Davis believes his Kentucky team would beat any other former group out of Lexington.
Davis had arguably the best season ever for any freshmen and was easily the most impactful “one-and-done” player of the entire era. He swept all of the Player of the Year Awards (Naismith, Wooden, Rupp Trophy, SEC) and also took home the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, Pete Newell Big Man Award and USBWA National Freshman of the Year. I can’t forget about winning the national title that year as well.
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