Kentucky basketball: 5 most underrated players in Kentucky Wildcats history

1. Tayshaun Prince, F, (1999-2002)

Arriving on campus just after the Wildcats’ run of NCAA dominance came to an end, Tayshaun Prince is a guy whose exploits tend to be forgotten in the storied history of Kentucky. Throughout his time as a Wildcat, Prince was one of the program’s best players.

Prince was a guy who steadily improved as his college career progressed, eventually taking home SEC Player of the Year Honors as a junior. During the following year, Prince averaged 17.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds a night.

Kentucky reached the NCAA Tournament in all four years Prince played for them, advancing beyond the Sweet 16 just once. Prince never got to play in a Final Four, with his closest approach coming as a freshman in 1999, with Kentucky losing by seven to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

After his outstanding college career came to an end Prince went pro, where he was drafted late in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. Prince would go on to be a very good NBA player, helping the Pistons win an NBA Championship in 2004 and becoming one of the league’s top defensive players.

There have been a lot of great Kentucky players over the years, but it feels like Prince never really gets his due in the pantheon of great Wildcats. That is truly a shame since he was an outstanding player for Kentucky over the course of his college career.

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