Discover more about Chicago Bulls basketball players, NBA playoffs, coach, arena, stats, owner, NBA championships
NBA![Discover more about Chicago Bulls basketball players, NBA playoffs, coach, arena, stats, owner, NBA championships](https://images.sportsbrief.com/images/320x180/75aa3c689f41cdfb.webp?v=1)
For decades, Kentucky University men's and women's basketball teams have produced numerous athletes, some of whom have become professional NBA players. Which famous ball players have attended and played for the Kentucky Wildcats? Dig in here to discover more about the top NBA players who went to Kentucky.
What university has the most players in the NBA? An extensive analysis by Sportsbrief recently revealed that the University of Kentucky is the most successful college basketball program, with 127 pro-basketballers and 26 active players as of February 2023. Scroll down and discover more on the extensive list of current NBA players who went to Kentucky.
According to The Winning Tradition: A History of Kentucky Wildcat Basketball, the Wildcats have won the most matches compared to other NCAA basketball teams. The college has been Conference Champion 56 times during regular seasons and 33 times during NCAA Tournaments. It is safe to assume that all NBA players who went to Kentucky played a role in the program's success.
Discover more about Chicago Bulls basketball players, NBA playoffs, coach, arena, stats, owner, NBA championships
NBASportsbrief has used official NBA player stats to create a comprehensive record of all active NBA players and free agents who attended the University of Kentucky. Scroll down for the best Kentucky alums playing for various teams in the NBA in 2023.
Player | Position | Team |
Anthony Davis | Power forward/ Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
Bam Adebayo | Center | Miami Heat/ United States men's national basketball team |
Brandon Boston Jr. | Shooting guard | Los Angeles Clippers |
De'Aaron Fox | Point guard | Sacramento Kings |
Devin Booker | Small forward/ Shooting guard | Phoenix Suns/ United States men's national basketball team |
Hamidou Diallo | Shooting guard | Detroit Pistons |
Immanuel Quickley | Guard | New York Knicks |
Isaiah Jackson | Power forward/ Center | Indiana Pacers |
Jamal Murray | Guard | Denver Nuggets |
Jarred Vanderbilt | Power forward/ Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
John Wall | Point Guard | Los Angeles Clippers |
Julius Randle | Power forward | New York Knicks |
Karl-Anthony Towns | Power forward/ Center | Minnesota Timberwolves/ Dominican Republic men's national basketball team |
Keldon Johnson | Forward | San Antonio Spurs/ United States men's national basketball team |
Kevin Knox II | Forward | Portland Trail Blazers |
Malik Monk | Shooting guard | Sacramento Kings |
Nerlens Noel | Center/Power Forward | Brooklyn Nets |
Nick Richards | Center | Charlotte Hornets |
Olivier Sarr | Center | Oklahoma City Thunder |
P.J. Washington | Power forward/Center | Charlotte Hornets |
Shaedon Sharpe | Forward | Portland Trail Blazers |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Point guard | Oklahoma City Thunder, Canada men's national basketball team |
Trey Lyles | Power forward/Center | Sacramento Kings |
TyTy Washington Jr. | Point guard | Milwaukee Bucks |
Tyler Herro | Point guard/Small forward | Miami Heat |
Tyrese Maxey | Guard | Philadelphia 76ers |
Wenyen Gabriel | Forward | South Sudan men's national basketball team, Wisconsin Herd |
Adam Fox's net worth, contract, instagram, salary, house, cars, age, stats, photos
NHLSince 1947, 138 Wildcat members have taken part in NBA drafts. While all the basketball players in this category went on to have impressive NBA careers, here is a list of some of the best NBA players who went to Kentucky.
Several colleges, such as Memphis, N.C. State, Miami, Baylor, Duke, and Kansas had expressed interest in him, but Wall chose to enrol at Kentucky in 2009. The Word of God Chrisitan Academy guard averaged 22.1 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. At the college, the first overall pick for the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.
Between 1966 and 1970, the 1993 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer played for the Wildcats, averaging 25.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Before joining the Kentucky Colonels and later the Denver Nuggets, he won first place in the 1969/70 NCAA AP All-American awards. The power forward led the Nuggets with an all-time score of 25,198 points and an all-time NBA-ABA career points list of 27,482.
Kevin Garnett's net worth, career stats, rings, height, beef, is he married?
NBABefore the 1949 NBA Draft, where Groza was picked second overall in the first round by the Indianapolis Olympians, he played for Kentucky Wildcats between 1947 and 1949. At the end of his collegiate career, he averaged 16.2 points per game with a .692 free throw and a .423 field goal percentage. His awards as a professional NBA player include two 2 All-NBAs and an Olympic gold medal at the London Olympic Games of 1948.
Before joining the Wildcats, Adebayo played for the Cougars, the High Point Christian Academy basketball team, averaging 18.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. Bam Adebayo's college career in the 2016/17 season featured 38 matches, averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists with a .599 field goal and a .653 free throw percentage.
Four-time All-Defensive team member Rajon Rondo has built a stellar reputation as one of the top-performing NBA players from Kentucky. The four-time All-Star is popularly known as Playoff Rondo, a nickname linked to his steady performance in every playoff performance. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, his former teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remarked on his performance, saying,
Ranking the top 20 hottest hockey players in the world right now
NHL“When LeBron was out, Rondo was pretty much commanding the floor, making everybody get in their spots and where they needed to be before running the play. That is just him. He did that for us. He quarterbacked for us and got everybody in position.”
What are some fun facts about Karl-Anthony Towns? Dominican-American professional basketballer Karl-Anthony Towns was the first pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round 1 of the 2015 NBA draft. In the 2023 season, the centre and power forward left the college with 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, averaging 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists with a 13.8 PIE.
Frank Vernon Ramsey Jr., popularly known as the Kentucky Colonel, is one of the best NBA players who went to Kentucky University. He is one of the few professional players and coaches with the most NBA rings after winning seven NBA Championships. As a proud alumnus, the shooting guard and small forward was recorded in historian Doug Brunk’s book, the Wildcat Memories, saying,
USA World Cup squad: Find out the full roster of team USA in Qatar
Football“I may have earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Kentucky, but I earned a doctorate athletically. I played baseball and basketball for one of the greatest coaches ever.”
One of the most successful Wildcat alums was professional player and coach Pat Riley. At the end of Pat Riley's college career in 1967, 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .469 field goal and a .714 free throw percentage. Additionally, Riley ranks third as one of the most successful NBA coaches with the most NBA rings.
In 2017 and 2021, Booker scored 70 points for the Phoenix Suns against the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, joining an exclusive list of top NBA performers. Before joining the NBA in 2015, Devin Booker's college stats stood at 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game with a .470 field goal percentage, a .411 3-point field goal percentage, and a .828 free throw percentage.
How many championships does Magic have? A list of Magic Johnson's achievements
NBAThe number one NBA player who went to Kentucky is Los Angeles Lakers power forward Anthony Davis. At the end of his collegiate career with the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, he averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
He won the 2010/11 McDonald's All-American and the 2011/12 NCAA AP All-America awards during that period. At the time of writing, the 2017 All-Star MVP held an average of 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists with an 18.6 Player Impact Efficiency.
The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team has a significant role in moulding some of the best female basketball players of all time. Here is a list of some top female players who went to Kentucky.
Who is the tallest basketball player in the NBA right now?
NBANBA players who went to Kentucky paved the way for younger high school and college athletes to pursue their athletic dreams. Additionally, the acceptance rate of the school's players into NBA teams is an adequate barometer of the college program's efficiency in basketball.
READ ALSO: Top 10 colleges with the most NBA players in the league currently
Sports Brief recently published an article analysing some of the most productive NCAA basketball programs. The report covers the best ten colleges that have produced the most NBA players of all time who went on to have the most successful professional basketball careers.