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

We’ve finally reached the end of the line for my ranking of the 104 players of the John Calipari era and what a ride it has been. This has felt like a very old-school BTI week for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed the comments section each day as everybody is way smarter than me. At least when it comes to ranking two players. But of course, I ranked 104 players so really I just call you all slackers. Not really.

If you have missed the first four days of this ranking, please take a look at the posts below:

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

In total, I have ranked 12 players as LEGENDS during the John Calipari era. These are guys who forever made their mark in the UK record books, the UK fanbase, and had nationwide appeal. While I would not put all 12 guys into the rafter at Rupp Arena, I think you could make an argument for all 12. My ranking, though, only goes on what they did during their time at UK. So to wrap up the week, we start with #12:

12. Karl Anthony-Towns (2015)
Karl was just the most damn likeable player in Cal’s tenure, until Oscar came along. How could you not root for that guy? And I honestly think he probably had the best offensive skill of any big man that has played under Calipari. But people do tend to forget he didn’t dominate from the jump in the 2015 season. That was such a balanced team that the offense didn’t run through KAT all that much. Now at the end of the season, he was the man. His performance in the Elite 8 against Notre Dame might be the best center performance I can remember on the offensive end. UK fed him time after time and he delivered each and every time. A title and undefeated season probably would have gotten him in the rafters. As is, he probably wouldn’t get my vote but that doesn’t diminish what a special talent he was.

11. Malik Monk (2017)
When Monk got hot there was no player I wanted to watch more than him. Epic performances, epic shots, overall scoring ability that was unrivaled at UK. And he did it all as a freshman. If you can give me any backcourt in Calipari’s tenure, give me Monk-Fox. I think he goes underrated for how athletic has was too. A leaper who finished at the rim with ease. In the open floor, he was almost unstoppable. Another guy, as many are, who I would have loved to have a Final Four on his resume. He would get consideration, for sure, as the starting shooting guard on my All-Cal lineup.

10. Brandon Knight (2011)
As Keith Bogans is a guy who never gets the credit he is due from the Tubby tenure, Knight will always be that guy for Calipari. I think that is, in part, due to early-season struggles. But I’m not sure a guy was asked to carry a team more than Knight was on that 2011 squad. He was given the ball time and again in clutch situations and come February and beyond, he delivered. And do you know what I love most about Knight? Against North Carolina, with the Final Four on the line, he gave the ball up to an open teammate for the game-winning shot. He could have taken 15-20 shots a game and it would have been understandable. But he was a guy who did what needed to be done to win games. A true legend at UK that doesn’t get his due.

9. Jamal Murray (2016)
Wouldn’t trust anybody with an open jumped more than him. Found ways to score on a team that struggled to score. Took on a heavy load of shots but rarely forced them. Paired with Tyler Ulis, the two played off each other as good as any duo. Plus he had a great energy on the floor and with the fans. As dependable a player as I can remember and really wish his one team was a little better. I think he would have been an All-American on most of Calipari’s squads.

8. Willie Cauley-Stein (2013-15)
Did you ever think WCS could become an All-American after watching him in his freshman season? He looked like a newborn baby deer in 2013, flailing about the court with little idea what was going on. But maybe the most freak athlete Calipari had an once he harnessed and controlled that, he became unstoppable by 2015. I do think he went too many stretched not involved in the game and that ultimately was a key downfall in 2015 but when he was present, he impacted the game only behind Anthony Davis on both ends of the floor. I think there are better “players” below him on the list but more impactful, likely not.

7. Tyler Ulis (2015-16)
The best “offense runner” under Calipari. He scored when he needed to but looked to pass more often than not. Played with a ton of talented scorers and got them the ball, where they needed the ball, to perfection. Became an offensive threat in his second season too. And I’m not sure there is a more popular player amongst the fanbase. You could put far more talented players in the point guard spot, like a Wall or Fox, but those guys still might not run an offense like Ulis. Icnonic, iconic player.

6. Julius Randle (2014)
If Oscar Tshwiebe didn’t exist, there would not have been a better rebounder under Calipari, maybe in school history. Dominated the paint from game one and consistently did his best to salvage a difficult 2014 season. Once his teammates got caught up that team became dynamite. But Randle was the best player on the floor almost every second he played. A national title puts him in the rafters.

5. Demarcus Cousins (2010)
The talent. The toughness. The total package. He certainly would have been a guy we would have hated on other teams. But when he is your guy, you love him more than almost anybody. When given the ball in the post, almost unstoppable. Threw a very classic elbow against UofL and had several other fan friendly moments. Being on that first Calipari team really catapulted him into UK lore since we hadn’t had a big man like that in so many years.

4. De’Aaron Fox (2017)
I’ll explain this for the next guy but if you ask me honestly, I think Fox is the best point guard in the Calipari era. You are really splitting hairs between him and Wall but I think Fox was quicker and had a better jumpshot. Wall was probably a better passer and maybe a better finisher at the rim. Fox is definitely in the running for my favorite UK player of all-time and I’m not sure there is a guy who better fit the modern college game than him. Here’s to hoping he finds a capable NBA franchise to lead at some point.

3. John Wall (2010)
How can I put Wall ahead of Fox even though I said Fox was the better player? Because Wall had a social impact on the program and fanbase unlike any player we’ve ever had. You could argue Jamal Mashburn saved the program in 1991 when he arrived. I don’t think John Wall saved the program because he had a lot of talent around him but he might have saved the fanbase. Because we had started to lose that Kentucky edge, that arrogance, that we so cherish. And Wall brought it back. And of course he was an unbelievable player.

2. Oscar Tshiebwe (2022)
It is just hard to put into perspective how good the season Oscar just completed was. The first round loss to St. Peters ruined his chance to break the rebounding record but the pace he was on was something we hadn’t seen in SIXTY years. He was compiling stats that had been obtained before the SEC became integrated. Even if Oscar was the worst human on the planet, he would still deserve the second spot, no question. But he also is the almost perfect human being. His generosity with fans, general personality on and off the court, and backstory make him one of the most special players in school history. And then to top it all off, he might be coming back. I think you could make an argument Oscar will save John Calipari’s tenure. The pressure will be high next year no matter what but fans will once again gravitate to Oscar once play begins, relieving some of that pressure. In today’s world, we just don’t get guys like Oscar for more than a year.

1. Anthony Davis (2012)
Duh. What didn’t the guy accomplish? National player of the year? Check. National champion? Check. Historic performances? Check. Beat Louisville? Double check. Fan popularity? Of course. There is no missing factor in the guys resume and he did it all in 1 season. He is simply the best player to ever play at this university. I never thought he would even be challenged for this top spot and I didn’t have to think too hard to put him there this time but Oscar, maybe just maybe, could be under consideration if he matches or surpasses his 2022 campaign again in 2023. But at least for now, I still think Anthony Davis is the best player of the John Calipari era. Easily.