Ranking All the John Calipari Era players at Kentucky (Part 3/5)

Yesterday was an absolute bloodbath of a post as I ranked the 21 players I consider a FLOP in the John Calipari era. Lots of good conversation in the comments section and on social media on that one so let me clarify a couple of things right away. First, a key part of being a flop is what you were expected to be when you arrived. So for instance, Jarrod Polson is a far inferior player to Brandon Boston. But Polson far exceeded his expectations and Boston underperformed his. So that puts Boston lower on the list of players than Polson, who you will see today.

The name that came up the most was Archie Goodwin, who I did not put on the flop list, but did include Ryan Harrow and Devin Askew. There is no question that Goodwin was a frustrating player and did not meet expectations. But he was not a top reason his team struggled, whereas Harrow and Askew were the No. 1 reasons. Additionally, when you actually look at Goodwin’s one season, it has some bright performances. That’s not to say he was on the fringe of the flop tier, but simply those three guys were not equal.

So a quick recap of what the schedule of tiers looks like this week. You can click on the first two days if you didn’t catch those posts:

MONDAY: Walk-Ons and Never/Barely Played
TUESDAY: Flops
TODAY: Impactful
THURSDAY: All-Stars
FRIDAY: Legends

Today’s tier is IMPACTFUL. These are guys who made a difference on the court but were not necessarily stars. They are players that we, as fans, will always remember as good players, but those outside the fanbase will never remember. They had flashes of brilliance but were more than likely solid role players.

In total, I put 24 players into this tier, starting with the player ranked #56 on my list:

56. Jarrod Polson (2011-14)
The walk-on earned his way out of that tier and into an impactful player in large part for his junior year efforts. With Ryan Harrow struggling so bad, Polson was thrown into serious minutes for much of that season. After scoring just 7 points in his first two years, he scored 101 in his junior year. By the time Andrew Harrison arrived in 2014 it was back to the bench for Polson, but I think he earned a right to be called an impactful player from the walk-on spot.

55. Isaac Humphries (2016-17)
The big Aussie almost cemented himself into UK lore with an amazing Elite 8 performance in 2018 before Drew Franklin snatched it away at the buzzer. That final game, a 12-point performance, was his only double-digit game in two seasons, but he was consistently a solid defender and role player as a backup to Skal and Bam.

54. Dominique Hawkins (2014-17)
You don’t win championships because of Dominique Hawkins but you sure as hell need guys like him. The epitome of the UK dream. Kentucky kid, Mr. Basketball, walk-on, and then plays his way into a regular role on the team. Made the All-SEC Tournament team his senior season. On a team filled with stars in 2017, he became a key cog that almost got the Cats into the Final Four. Shot 12 for 17 from the field in that NCAA Tournament. Scrappy as hell and always will be a fan favorite.

53. Jacob Toppin (2021-22)
Was it just me or do you see star potential in Toppin? Now with Keion Brooks potentially gone, I sure hope he comes back for another year because I think he could be an All-SEC player in 2023. His game has developed so much in two seasons and his athleticism is off the charts. Has some of the better blocks of the Cal era already and would have to think his offensive role expands next season.

52. Olivier Sarr (2021)
You have to wonder if Sarr was used differently would his one year in Lexington have been different. Not the most bruising big man to ever come through here but highly skilled. And despite being on the worst team in UK history, was still a double-digit scorer who developed into a pretty dependable big man most of the year. I don’t think you can call him a flop because his stats were still decent. But a big “what if” guy overall.

51. Dakari Johnson (2014-15)
Speaking of what if guys, nobody more embodies that than Dakari. After slimming down in 2015 and becoming a highly dependable backup big man, he would have starred on the 2016 after the flop of Skal. He likely turns that team into a Final Four contender but alas the glories of the G-League were too much of a pull. Dakari was lovable and the potential was huge but he was a product of his era of rushing off to pro basketball.

50. Deandre Liggins (2010-11)
There was some concern on if he could mesh into a Cal player and in 2010, it didn’t seem to really work. But he found his role big time in 2011 and became one of the better defensive players in school history. Then capped it off with the shot that sent the Cats back to the Final Four against North Carolina. I’m sure many forget Liggins had the shot to win the Final Four game against UCONN and if that had gone in, oh boy he would have been Aaron Harrison before there was an Aaron Harrison.

49. Keion Brooks (2020-22)
Not sure many players drove fans crazier than Brooks but the reality is he was a solid player for much of his career. Probably tried to do too much too often but developed into a nice offensive weapon. He’s the kind of guy you need for really successful rosters and he game did get better each year.

48. Josh Harrellson (2010-11)
Did anybody change his fortunes more in one season than Jorts? He was a complete flop in his first two seasons at Kentucky. A scrub Billy player who got on Cal’s bad side and was almost shown the door. And then in 2011 Enes Kanter isn’t allowed to play and he was thrown into the starting lineup. And what followed was one of the toughest, hard-working seasons we’ve seen a center have at Kentucky. Amazing moments against Louisville and Ohio State. Constantly battling. And became such a fan favorite with his personality.

47. Alex Poythress (2013-2016)
He really had such an odd career at Kentucky. The only 4-year scholarship player under Calipari that wasn’t from Kentucky. He was a highly-heralded player and showed some amazing flashes his freshman year. But his career just never really took off from there. He blew out his knee in 2015 or he might have been the final piece to an undefeated season. And his senior campaign was his most efficient but he just never could quite get into star territory. Couldn’t help but love the guy. Always played hard and never pouted. But thought he would become an All-American type player and just never panned out that way.

46. Isaiah Briscoe (2016-17)
The guy has a triple-double, one of the few in school history. So you know the talent was there. Horrible shooter but a pretty good distributor of the basketball and seemed to know his role and try to play it. Was a key player on the 2017 Elite Eight squad but really leaves Kentucky as a forgotten man.

45. Derek Willis (2014-17)
This is what Dontaie Allen could have strived to be. Willis was basically in the doghouse for his first two years in Lexington. Reportedly not the hardest worker in the world. But in 2016 he was basically forced onto the court and found his groove as a stretch 4 with a dangerous jumper. Became more of a well-rounded player his senior season and saved a career that looked doomed for a couple of years. Plus as a Kentucky kid, will always be special for the fans.

44. Julius Mays (2013)
Was honestly that team’s most consistent offensive threat for some of that season. I think he far exceeded what people thought he would be and was put into tough situations that he really wasn’t well suited for. He wasn’t the most talented player, certainly worse than several guys ranked worse than him. But he battled for a bad team and I think fans respect him for that.

43. Kyle Wiltjer (2012-13)
If Wiltjer had chosen to ride it out at Kentucky for his whole career, who knows. He had a strange game for sure. Slow as my grandmother but certainly a dynamite jump shot. Wasn’t the strongest guy in the world but wasn’t afraid to get into the post a little. His Gonzaga career proved he had some interior game. The talent level in 2014 and 2015 would have swamped him to the bench likely but his 2013 campaign was a quite solid effort. And he’s got a ring.

42. Isaiah Jackson (2021)
I think people will forever forget about Jackson. In part because his strength wasn’t scoring and in part because his team was so bad. But in all the crap that team was I think Jackson was the bright spot. He was tenacious and an incredible shot blocker. I think fans wished he came back for one more year but that is what it is. But his one year was still a long bright spot in the depths of despair.

41. Nick Richards (2018-20)
Sorry Drew, but Richards was not a Top 3 player under Calipari. What he was is probably the most improved player that Cal ever had. Because let’s be frank. He stunk his first two years. But his junior campaign saved his career at Kentucky and a tournament run could have cemented his place as a great UK big man. I put him above others because of this improvement and a Senior Nick Richards probably would have been a sight to behold. First-team All-SEC his junior year.

40. Keldon Johnson (2019)
I tend to think of Johnson as a disappointment at Kentucky but research says a little different. No, he wasn’t the dynamite freshman that we got used to. But he was SEC Freshman of the Year and 2nd Team All-SEC. He did score almost 500 points in his one year. I just think he got pushed down the line by PJ and Herro and never became the standout many had hoped for. And he needed a second year at UK badly. Still has become a solid NBA player.

39. Archie Goodwin (2013)
Say what you want about Goodwin, and there is plenty of negative to say, but he did lead the team in scoring in his one season as a freshman. He was on a team with almost no offensive weapons and he did what he had to do. Were his head-down drives frustrating? Of course. But what would you rather him have done? Shoot more threes? 14 points per game as a freshman. You know who else had 14 points per game? Anthony Davis. So basically those two guys are same. There, proved you wrong.

38. Reid Travis (2019)
I actually like Travis a whole lot, even though some fans don’t. We forget easily he was the best player on offense for a chunk of that season. A reliable big body and absolutely dominant in some games. Slid a bit as the season rolled on but largely due to PJ Washington and Tyler Herro becoming stars. Until this year, one of Cal’s best transfers.

37. Ashton Hagans (2019-20)
Hagans was wildly talented and absolutely won games for Kentucky. He also seemed temperamental and ended his career on a low note. But attitude doesn’t play into my rankings as much as on the court performance. One of the best assist men in Cal’s tenure and when he played that role, he was great. 12th in school history in assists. In two seasons. Not sure he’ll ever be thought of fondly by this fanbase but ignoring his impact is ignorance.

36. Sahvir Wheeler (2022)
Is this too high for Wheeler after just one season? I don’t think so. For most of the year he was on pace to break the single-season assists record at Kentucky. One of the most unique players we’ve ever seen and an offensive weapon, just not the in the way we are used to. Certainly lacks a jump shot but his ability to run the floor and creating opportunities for teammates is unrivaled. I think he could come back and have Anthony Epps type impact on this program.

35. Trey Lyles (2015)
Sometimes a forgotten man on that great team but he ran with the 1st team. A modern 4-man. Mid-range game was one of the best we’ve seen in decades. Not a tremendous athlete overall but enough to run with that team for sure. He was never going to star with all of that talent but the potential was oozing for him. Would have been interesting to see him on the 2016 squad and what kind of player he would have been.

34. Tyrese Maxey (2020)
Many thought he was going to be THE MAN after an opening night 26-point performance. He only surpassed that one more time, scoring 27 against Louisville. The epitome of an up and down player but had seemed to really find some consistency the last few weeks of the season. COVID ruined his chance to make his final mark at Kentucky. While I think he underachieved in some ways compared to his recruiting rank, he still was a really, really, good player for Calipari.

33. Kevin Knox (2018)
OK, I’m going to be honest here because we’re all friends. Knox was somebody I just never really enjoyed watching. It just felt like he rarely was hitting his potential on a team that badly needed him to. But then I look at his stats and they are eye-popping in some ways. 8th most points ever scored by a freshman. More than Demarcus Cousins. More than Anthony Davis. I think he was that team’s best player without ever really showing it, sans the West Virginia game. I think he could have easily been a Top 20 Calipari player. Easily. So landing at 33 is a disappointment.

32. Devin Booker (2015)
Booker is one of the five best NBA players Calipari has produced. But in his one year at Kentucky, he was just okay. He had a mid-season stretch of shooting that was truly exciting. But he faltered down the stretch and was barely playable in the Final Four. And I think everybody would have to be honest in saying his NBA success is a bit unexpected from what we saw. He was a fun guy and a likable player. And at his best, maybe one of the 10-15 best players to run through here but his overall resume only lands him here.

31. Darius Miller (2010-12)
Let’s talk about the reality of Darius Miller. The reality is that he never was higher than 4th in scoring on any team he played on. He was never the star. What he was is the absolute perfect role player for great teams. A perfect complimentary piece. And yet, many say his jersey should be retired. Many put him in the same category as a PJ Washington or Patrick Patterson. But the actual production doesn’t back that up. I LOVE Darius Miller. The guy fought through Billy Gillispie and came out clean on the other side. He was pivotal on the 2012 title team. But he wasn’t as elite as some might argue.

30. Marquis Teague (2012)
I don’t think people appreciate just how good a player Teague became on that title team. He actually became a scoring threat by the end of the year. His improvement in the middle of a season was likely the difference-maker in that team winning it all, in my opinion. He was never going to be John Wall or Brandon Knight good but they didn’t need him to be. He found his perfect role on that team and played it to perfection. With that said, he absolutely should have been back for second season.

29. Davion Mintz (2021-22)
For what that kid had to be for the 2021 season, he deserves to be in the top tier of my rankings. But looking at him realistically, this is a good landing spot. Not an elite, elite talent but just a damn good basketball player that seemed to know his game and how to play to perfection. His role changed from leading scorer to whatever was needed and he transitioned with no problem. I have as much respect for his two years as almost any player I can think of. Clone that kid and put him on any roster in the future and he’ll make it work.

28. Doron Lamb (2011-12)
Probably still the best shooter Calipari has had. Not the best scorer or overall player but maybe the best pure shooter. Another guy who played his role to perfection and he ended up developing a little more game than just a shooter. Leading scorer on a title team, that has to earn you some high praise.

27. James Young (2014)
He and Julius Randle should have comprised one of the best inside-outside combos in school history. Instead they spent much of that season struggling. But the talent was always evident with Young. It was just the effort and execution that seemed lacking sometimes. But when it was crunch time, Young was often the guy who got the ball. And that Final Four was highlighted by several Young plays, including the three against Wichita State and dunk against UCONN. He had enough skill to be flirting with the Top 10 in my opinion. Even still, a very good player on a Final Four team, just missing out on the All-Star tier.