Kentucky’s favorite dancing point guard, John Wall, released his all-time starting five for the Wildcats.
He chose himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
If choosing based on NBA success, that is a solid list.
If we’re looking at what a player accomplished while wearing a UK jersey, I believe the list should look a little different.
I’m a ‘90s kid, so it would be hard for me to put a player on this list that I didn’t grow up watching.
Trying to keep positions in mind, I’d go with John Wall as my point guard. He averaged over 16 points and six assists per game. He could go from 0-60 faster than any guard I’ve seen.
Malik Monk is my two-guard. He was one of the gutsiest shooters, crazy athletic and exciting to watch.
At my three-spot, I’m going with Tayshaun Prince. I get chills every time I watch him pull up from the UK logo against North Carolina.
Down low, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a stretch-four and lockdown defender who hustles on both ends of the floor.
My starting center is the best shot-blocker Kentucky basketball has seen. Anthony Davis set the record for most shots blocked in one year with 186 in the Wildcats 2012 National Championship season.
For funsies, I selected a bench to back up my Power Five.
Floor general Tyler Ulis would back up Wall. I need toughness and someone who can see the floor.
Tony Delk was a Consensus All-American and a lights-out shooter for the Cats. He’s my choice from the 1996 Championship team.
Immanuel Quickley is a sure-thing to come off the bench. COVID took away a possible Championship run, and Quickley was hitting anything and everything when March rolled around.
Based on stats alone for rebounds, Oscar Tshiebwe. He is sixth in all-time program history with 952 rebounds in only two seasons. He had 20 double-doubles as a senior and 28 as a junior.
Rim-rocker Willie-Cauley Stein would be my go-to big man to back up Anthony Davis. If he doesn’t get hurt during the tournament, the 2014 Championship banner would be hanging in Rupp.
Honorable Mention: Father-son duo Reed and Jeff Sheppard, De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, Chuck Hayes, Keith Bogans, Jamal Mashburn, Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller and Karl-Anthony Towns.
After compiling this list, I discovered it’s very difficult to choose only 10, let alone five Wildcats.
We’re lucky to have such a rich history of superstars. There are programs in this country that could barely piece together an all-time starting five that could challenge our all-time fourth-string players.
Go Cats.