A list of the best NBA players that went to Kentucky: Who is the best?

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.

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How many current NBA players went to Kentucky?

Sportsbrief 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.

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Who are the most famous NBA players of all time that went to Kentucky?

Since 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.

10. John Wall

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.

9. Dan Issel

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.

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8. Alex Groza

Before 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.

7. Bam Adebayo

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.

6. Rajon Rondo

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,

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“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.”

5. Karl-Anthony Towns

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.

4. Frank Ramsey

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,

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“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.”

3. Pat Riley

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.

2. Devin Booker

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.

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1. Anthony Davis

The 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.

What famous WNBA players played for the Kentucky Wildcats?

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.

1. Evelyn Akhator
2. Makayla Epps
3. A’dia Mathies
4. Maci Morris
5. Leslie Nichols

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NBA 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.

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