Kentucky basketball: All-time starting 5 – From Anthony Davis to Jamal Mashburn

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.