Kentucky players with the best hops in the Calipari era

Over the last 15 years, several players who have passed through the University of Kentucky have had some crazy leaping ability, or bunnies, as the kids used to say. So, on this Easter Sunday where we celebrate hops, bunnies, and the like, let’s look back through the John Calipari era and see who had the most impressive verticals.

A few caveats

First, let me insert a Michael-Jordan’s-vertical-leap-sized caveat. This list is most certainly not all-encompassing. For starters, information readily available for individual players’ maximum jumps deteriorates quickly after a few years. So, finding every Kentucky player’s official number is practically impossible. On top of the baseline scarcity, some of the best athletes choose not to jump in the NBA Combine or at UK Pro Days. Whether this is to avoid hurting their stock or some other agent-driven reason, the days of projected lottery picks participating in every agility drill are over. Even at Kentucky’s 2023 Pro Day, organizers did not measure max verticals. As such, I do not have the official vertical of Joey Hart, who reportedly has the highest on the team.

On top of all these research challenges, I tried my best to use legit numbers. Summer workouts where guys leap over cars or some other Instagram-worthy feat do not exactly meet the minimum requirement for validity. For example, the late Terrence Clarke has a video of him “jumping 60 inches.” However, on further inspection, he jumped onto a five-foot pad off the ground while bending his knees; not exactly how they measure it in the pros.

Also, while I tried to use official numbers as much as possible, it is hard to ignore other video-based sources. You’ll see that in a couple of players on this list, but just because the max happened in a workout, doesn’t mean it doesn’t count.

You get the idea. It’s not perfect. The important part is that it is Easter, and remembering Kentucky players with some of the best hops is a good way to distract us from the fact the ‘Cats aren’t playing in the Elite Eight.

Top 10 Cal-era Kentucky players with the best hops

9. (TIE) PJ Washington and Kareem Watkins – 43 inches

I bet you didn’t see that one coming. However, the walk-on out of New Jersey is not your typical bench warmer. Kareem Hawkins might be only 5-foot-8, but the man has serious ups. You’ll have a hard time finding 10 Kentucky players over the last 15 years with a higher vertical.

PJ Washington, despite his 6-foot-8 frame, can also get up. Call this your surprising-based-on-their-height slot.

8. Mychal Mulder – 44 inches

In the 8th spot comes another eyebrow-raiser. A first-ballot member of the “Calipari should have played that guy more” Hall of Fame, Mychal Mulder had one of the most low-key poster dunks of the Cal era and went on to have a respectable NBA career.

6. (TIE) Hamidou Diallo and EJ Floreal – 44.5 inches

This is the best combo of surprising and not-so-surprising on the list. Tied at 44.5 inches, former NBA Dunk Contest Champion, Hamidou Diallo had the same max vertical leap as former track star and imaginary arrow target, EJ Floreal.

4. (TIE) Jacob Toppin and Dominique Hawkins – 45 inches

If Diallo and Floreal did not surprise you, maybe these two will. 2024 NBA Dunk Contest participant Jacob Toppin and former Mr. Basketball in Kentucky, Dominique Hawkins, both posted 45-inch max verticals.

3. Adou Thiero – 46 inches

This one is a little controversial. While Adou Thiero‘s best official max vertical is 41 inches at the 2022 Pro Day, a workout video swirled around Twitter last summer of Thiero leaping 46 inches while training with Jason Jerome of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2. Daimion Collins – 46.5 inches

People called Daimion Collins a pogo stick for good reason. Not only was he all and lanky, Collins could jump out of the gym. His insane 46.5-inch max vertical is the highest ever recorded at a UK Pro Day (as far as discoverable records can tell).

1. Shaedon Sharpe – 49 inches

I know. Insert your “Shaedon Sharpe ain’t a Wildcat” protests here. But Calipari encouraged fans to watch him warm up because of his freakish hops. Although Sharpe did not jump at the Combine, he is believed to have the highest vertical leap of any player in NBA history if you count his ridiculous 49-inch jump during a 2022 workout video. For comparison, Michael Jordan is thought to hold the previous record among players who made it to the League at 48 inches.

Hoppy Easter, everyone.