Kentucky basketball: 5 most underrated players in Kentucky Wildcats history

Ranking the five most underrated Kentucky basketball players in Wildcats history.

One of the most historic NCAA basketball programs, there is no doubt Kentucky basketball has produced a ton of great players. The school’s NBA prestige has grown considerably in the past decade as the Wildcats have produced top draft picks like John Wall, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The stars draw all the headlines, but there have been plenty of Wildcats who haven’t gotten a ton of hype for their contributions at Kentucky. While Kentucky basketball stars are used to the spotlight, let’s shine the light on five underrated Kentucky basketball players in Wildcats history.

5. Patrick Patterson, F, (2007-2010)

When people start listing out Kentucky’s stars, Patterson isn’t usually one of the first names to come to mind. Part of that is due to the era he played in, with Patterson’s first two seasons coming in the oft-forgotten Billy Gillespie era.

The Wildcats got tremendous individual production out of Patterson, who averaged over 14 points per game in all three years he was in school. Patterson, a two-time First Team All-SEC member, was a critical leader as a junior on John Calipari‘s first Kentucky team.

After helping Kentucky reach the Elite Eight Patterson went pro where he was drafted 14th overall by the Sacramento Kings. Patterson has gone to have a solid pro career as a role player which shouldn’t be surprising considering how well he played at Kentucky.