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List of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball honorees

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A number of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players have been honored with various Southeastern Conference and national awards.

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Forty-three former Kentucky men's basketball players, coaches, and contributors are honored in Rupp Arena with banners representing their numbers hung from the rafters. With the streamlining of jersey numbers by the NCAA, the jerseys are retired but the numbers remain active. To have a banner hung, the athlete must be elected to the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.[1]

No. Name Years Note
22 Cliff Barker 1947–49 1948 NCAA Champion, 1949 NCAA Champion, One of the Fabulous Five
12 Ralph Beard 1946–49 1948 NCAA Champion, 1949 NCAA Champion, One of the Fabulous Five
22 Jerry Bird 1954–56
50 Bob Burrow 1955–56 1956 Second Team All-America
56 Burgess Carey 1925–26
24 Johnny Cox 1957–59 1958 NCAA Champion, 1959 First Team All-America
10 Louie Dampier 1965–67 1967 Second Team All-America
7 John DeMoisey 1932–34
00 Tony Delk 1993–96 1996 NCAA Champion, 1996 First Team All-America, 1996 SEC Player of the Year, 1996 NCAA Tournament M.O.P.
42 Bill Evans 1952–55
32 Richie Farmer 1989–92 One of the Unforgettables
12 Deron Feldhaus 1989–92 One of the Unforgettables
21 Jack Givens 1975–78 1978 NCAA Champion, 1978 Second Team All-America, 1978 SEC Player of the Year, 1978 NCAA Tournament M.O.P.
44 Phil Grawemeyer 1954–56
15 Alex Groza 1945–49 1948 NCAA Champion, 1949 NCAA Champion, One of the Fabulous Five
35 Kevin Grevey 1973–75 1975 First Team All-America, 1973 and 1975 SEC Player of the Year
Joe B. Hall 1973–85 1978 National Championship Head Coach
6 Cliff Hagan 1951–54 1951 NCAA Champion, 1952 First Team All-America, 1954 First Team All-America
52 Vernon Hatton 1956–58 1958 NCAA Champion
Basil Hayden 1920–22
44 Dan Issel 1968–70 UK All-time leading scorer, 1970 First Team All-America
27 Wallace Jones 1946–49 1948 NCAA Champion, 1949 NCAA Champion, One of the Fabulous Five
Bill Keightley 1962–2008 Mr. Wildcat, Equipment Manager
Cawood Ledford 1953–92 Voice of the Wildcats
4 Kyle Macy 1978–80 1978 NCAA Champion, 1980 First Team All-America, 1980 SEC Player of the Year
44 Cotton Nash 1962–64 1964 First Team All-America
24 Jamal Mashburn 1991–93 1993 First Team All-America, 1993 SEC Player of the Year
34 John Pelphrey 1989–92 One of the Unforgettables
22 Mike Pratt 1967–70 1970 Second Team All-America
Rick Pitino 1990–97 1996 National Championship Head Coach
30 Frank Ramsey 1951–54 1951 NCAA Champion, 1954 Second Team All-America
26 Kenny Rollins 1943–48 1948 NCAA Champion
42 Pat Riley 1965–67 1966 First Team All-America, 1966 SEC Player of the Year
53 Rick Robey 1975–78 1978 NCAA Champion, 1978 Second Team All-America
4 Layton Rouse 1938–40
Adolph Rupp 1931–72 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958 National Championship Head Coach
Forest Sale 1931–33 Helms POY 1933, 2 time all American 1932 and 1933
Carey Spicer 1929–31
77 Bill Spivey 1950–51 1951 NCAA Champion, 1951 First Team All-America
20 Gayle Rose 1953–55
16 Lou Tsioropoulos 1951–54 1951 NCAA Champion
34 Kenny Walker 1983–86 1986 First Team All-America, 1985–86 SEC Player of the Year
11 Sean Woods 1990–92 One of the Unforgettables

National Players of the Year

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The UK players listed here received at least one NCAA-recognized national player of the year award.

Oscar Tshiebwe is the first UK player to receive all of the NCAA-recognized national player of the year awards in a single season, doing so in 2021–22.
Year Player Award(s)
1933 Forest Sale Helms Athletic Foundation
1935 LeRoy Edwards Helms Athletic Foundation
2010 John Wall Adolph Rupp Trophy[2]
2012 Anthony Davis Wooden Award[3]
Naismith Trophy[4]
Oscar Robertson Trophy[5]
AP Player of the Year[6]
2022 Oscar Tshiebwe Wooden Award[7]
Naismith Trophy[8]
AP Player of the Year[9]
NABC Player of the Year[10]
Sporting News Player of the Year[11]
Oscar Robertson Trophy[12]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award

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The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award has been presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 2015 to the top Division I center.

Year Player
2022 Oscar Tshiebwe

All-Americans

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The following is a list of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players that were named First or Second Team All-Americans:

Tony Delk was a Consensus First Team All-America selection in 1995–96.
Tayshaun Prince was a Consensus First Team All-America selection in 2001 and 2002.
John Wall was a Consensus First Team All-America selection in 2009–10.
Year Player Position
1921 Basil Hayden Forward
1925 Burgess Carey Forward
1929 Carey Spicer Forward
1930 Paul McBrayer Forward
1931 Carey Spicer Forward
1932 Forest Sale Center
1933 Ellis Johnson Guard
1933 Forest Sale Center
1934 John DeMoisey Forward
1935 LeRoy Edwards Center
1939 Bernard Opper Guard
1941 Lee Huber Guard
1944 Bob Brannum Forward
1946 Jack Parkinson Guard
1947 Ralph Beard Guard
1947 Alex Groza Center
1948 Ralph Beard Guard
1948 Alex Groza Center
1949 Ralph Beard Guard
1949 Alex Groza Center
1949 Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones Center
1951 Bill Spivey Center
1952 Cliff Hagan Center
1952 Frank Ramsey Guard
1954 Cliff Hagan Center
1954 Frank Ramsey Guard
1956 Bob Burrow Forward
1958 Vernon Hatton Guard
1959 Johnny Cox Forward
1962 Cotton Nash Forward
1963 Cotton Nash Forward
1964 Cotton Nash Forward
1966 Louie Dampier Guard
1966 Pat Riley Forward
1967 Louie Dampier Guard
1969 Dan Issel Forward
1970 Dan Issel Forward
1975 Kevin Grevey Guard
1974 Kevin Grevey Guard
1975 Kevin Grevey Guard
1976 Jack "Goose" Givens Forward
1977 Jack "Goose" Givens Forward
1977 Rick Robey Center
1978 Jack "Goose" Givens Forward
1978 Rick Robey Center
1980 Kyle Macy Guard
1981 Sam Bowie Center
1984 Melvin Turpin Forward
1985 Kenny "Sky" Walker Forward
1986 Kenny "Sky" Walker Forward
1992 Jamal Mashburn Forward
1993 Jamal Mashburn Forward
1996 Tony Delk Guard
1997 Ron Mercer Forward
1998 Scott Padgett Forward
2001 Tayshaun Prince[13] Forward
2002 Tayshaun Prince[13] Forward
2003 Keith Bogans[13] Guard
2009 Jodie Meeks[14] Guard
2010 DeMarcus Cousins[15] Center
2010 John Wall[15] Guard
2012 Anthony Davis Center
2012 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Forward
2015 Willie Cauley-Stein Forward/Center
2015 Karl-Anthony Towns Center
2016 Tyler Ulis Guard
2017 Malik Monk Guard
2022 Oscar Tshiebwe Forward/Center
2023 Oscar Tshiebwe Forward/Center

Wayman Tisdale Award

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The Wayman Tisdale Award, known before the 2010–11 season as the USBWA National Freshman of the Year Award, has been presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association since 1989 to the top freshman in Division I men's basketball.

Year Player
2010 John Wall
2012 Anthony Davis
2024 Reed Sheppard

NABC Freshman of the Year

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The National Association of Basketball Coaches, the trade organization for college men's basketball coaches, has presented its own Freshman of the Year award since the 2016–17 season.

Year Player
2024 Reed Sheppard

SEC Player of the Year (AP, UPI, Coaches)

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The following is a list of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players who have been named SEC Player of the Year:

Year Player Position
1966 Pat Riley Forward
1972 Tom Parker Forward
1973 Kevin Grevey Guard
1975 Kevin Grevey Guard
1980 Kyle Macy Guard
1985 Kenny "Sky" Walker Forward
1986 Kenny "Sky" Walker Forward
1993 Jamal Mashburn Forward
1996 Tony Delk Guard
1997 Ron Mercer Forward
2001 Tayshaun Prince Forward
2003 Keith Bogans Guard
2010 John Wall Guard
2012 Anthony Davis Center
2016 Tyler Ulis Guard
2017 Malik Monk Guard
2020 Immanuel Quickley Guard
2022 Oscar Tshiebwe Center

SEC Freshmen of the Year (AP, Coaches)

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The following is a list of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players who have been named either SEC Freshman of the Year (awarded by the league's head coaches, and open only to freshmen) or SEC Newcomer of the Year (awarded by the AP and open to any player in his first year at an SEC school, including transfers).

All listed players won both awards except for the following:

Year Player Position
2008 Patrick Patterson Forward
2010 DeMarcus Cousins Center
2011 Terrence Jones Forward
2012 Anthony Davis Center
2013 Nerlens Noel Center
2014 Julius Randle Forward
2015 Karl-Anthony Towns Center
2017 Malik Monk Guard
2024 Reed Sheppard Guard

Elite 90 Award

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One of the NCAA's main student-athlete awards is the Elite 90 Award (previously the Elite 88 and Elite 89), presented at the site of each of the NCAA's 90 annual championship finals. In Division I men's basketball, eligible individuals are those on the playing squads of all Final Four participants who have played at least two seasons at their current school. The recipient is the eligible player with the highest grade point average, with completed credit hours as a tiebreaker if needed.

Year Player Class Position
2014 Sam Malone Junior Guard

NBA Draft Picks

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McDonald's All-Americans

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The following is a list of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players who have been named McDonald's All-Americans during their prep careers:

Year Player Position Hometown (High School)
1978 Dwight Anderson Forward Dayton, OH (Roth)
1978 Clarence Tillman Forward Philadelphia, PA (West Philadelphia)
1978 Chuck Verderber Forward Lincoln, IL (Lincoln)
1979 Sam Bowie Center Lebanon, PA (Lebanon)
1979 Derrick Hord Guard Bristol, TN (Tennessee)
1979 Dirk Minniefield Guard Lexington, KY (Lafayette)
1980 Bret Bearup Center Greenlawn, NY (Harborfields)
1980 Jim Master Guard Fort Wayne, IN (Paul Harding)
1982 Roger Harden Guard Valparaiso, IN (Valparaiso)
1982 Kenny "Sky" Walker Forward Roberta, GA (Crawford County Comprehensive)
1983 Winston Bennett Forward Louisville, KY (Male)
1983 James Blackmon Guard Marion, IN (Marion)
1984 Ed Davender Guard Brooklyn, NY (Boys and Girls)
1984 Cedric Jenkins Center Dawson, GA (Terrell County)
1984 Richard Madison Forward Memphis, TN (Northside)
1985 Irving Thomas Forward Miami, FL (Carol City)
1986 Rex Chapman Guard Owensboro, KY (Apollo)
1987 Eric Manuel Guard Macon, GA (Southwest)
1988 Chris Mills Forward Los Angeles, CA (Fairfax)
1992 Tony Delk Guard Brownsville, TN (Haywood)
1992 Rodrick Rhodes Forward Jersey City, NJ (St. Anthony's)
1994 Antoine Walker Forward Chicago, IL (Mt. Carmel)
1995 Ron Mercer Forward Nashville, TN (Goodpasture School)
1995 Wayne Turner Guard Boston, MA (Beaver Country Day)
1998 Tayshaun Prince Forward Compton, CA (Dominguez)
1999 Keith Bogans Guard Alexandria, VA (DeMatha)
1999 Marvin Stone Center Huntsville, AL (Grissom)
2001 Rashad Carruth Guard College Park, GA (Oak Hill)
2004 Joe Crawford Guard Detroit, MI (Renaissance)
2004 Randolph Morris Center Atlanta, GA (Landmark Christian)
2004 Rajon Rondo Guard Louisville, KY (Oak Hill)
2007 Patrick Patterson Forward Huntington, WV (Huntington)
2009 DeMarcus Cousins Center Mobile, AL (LeFlore)
2010 Terrence Jones Forward Portland, OR (Jefferson)
2010 Brandon Knight Guard Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Pine Crest)
2010 Doron Lamb Guard New York, NY (Oak Hill)
2011 Anthony Davis Forward Chicago, IL (Perspectives Charter)
2011 Michael Gilchrist Forward Elizabeth, NJ (St. Patrick)
2011 Marquis Teague Guard Indianapolis, IN (Pike)
2011 Kyle Wiltjer[a] Forward Portland, OR (Jesuit)
2012 Archie Goodwin Guard Sherwood, AR (Sylvan Hills)
2012 Alex Poythress Forward Clarksville, TN (Northeast)
2013 Aaron Harrison Guard Richmond, TX (Travis)
2013 Andrew Harrison Guard Richmond, TX (Travis)
2013 Dakari Johnson Center New York, NY (Montverde)
2013 Marcus Lee[b] Forward Antioch, CA (Deer Valley)
2013 Julius Randle Forward Dallas, TX (Prestonwood)
2013 James Young Guard Rochester, MI (Rochester)
2014 Devin Booker Guard Moss Point, MS (Moss Point)
2014 Trey Lyles Forward Indianapolis, IN (Arsenal Tech)
2014 Karl Towns Jr. Forward Metuchen, NJ (St. Joseph)
2014 Reid Travis[c] Forward Minneapolis, MN (De La Salle)
2014 Tyler Ulis Guard Chicago, IL (Roselle Catholic)
2015 Isaiah Briscoe Guard Union, NJ (Roselle Catholic)
2016 Bam Adebayo Forward Little Washington, NC (High Point Christian Academy)
2016 De'Aaron Fox Guard Cypress, TX (Cypress Lakes)
2016 Sacha Killeya-Jones[d] Forward Chapel Hill, NC (Virginia Episcopal)
2016 Malik Monk Guard Lepanto, AR (Bentonville)
2017 Quade Green[e] Guard Philadelphia, PA (Neumann–Goretti)
2017 Kevin Knox II Forward Tampa, FL (Tampa Catholic)
2017 Nick Richards Center Kingston, Jamaica (The Patrick School)
2017 Jarred Vanderbilt Forward Missouri City, TX (Victory Prep)
2017 P. J. Washington Forward Frisco, TX (Findlay Prep)
2018 Keldon Johnson Forward South Hill, VA (Oak Hill Academy)
2018 E. J. Montgomery Forward Fort Pierce, FL (Joseph Wheeler)
2018 Immanuel Quickley Guard Havre de Grace, MD (John Carroll School)
2019 Tyrese Maxey Guard Garland, TX (South Garland)
2019 Oscar Tshiebwe[f] Center Lubumbashi, DR Congo (Kennedy Catholic)
2019 Kahlil Whitney Forward Chicago, IL (Roselle Catholic)
2020 Brandon Boston Jr. Guard Norcross, GA (Sierra Canyon)
2020 Terrence Clarke Guard Dorchester, MA (Brewster Academy)
2021 Daimion Collins Forward Atlanta, TX (Atlanta)
2022 Chris Livingston Forward Akron, OH (Oak Hill Academy)
2022 Cason Wallace Guard Dallas, TX (Richardson)
2023 Aaron Bradshaw[g] Guard Roselle, NJ (Camden)
2023 Justin Edwards Forward Philadelphia, PA (Imhotep)
2023 Reed Sheppard Guard London, KY (North Laurel)
2023 D. J. Wagner Guard Camden, NJ (Camden)
  1. ^ Wiltjer transferred to Gonzaga after the 2012–13 season.
  2. ^ Lee transferred to California after the 2015–16 season.
  3. ^ Travis began his college career at Stanford, playing there through the 2017–18 season. He graduated from Stanford with a year of remaining athletic eligibility and transferred to UK for the 2018–19 season.
  4. ^ Killeya-Jones transferred to NC State after the 2017–18 season.
  5. ^ Geeen transferred to Washington after the 2017–18 season.
  6. ^ Tshiebwe began his college career at West Virginia, transferring to Kentucky after the 2020 fall semester. He began play at UK in 2021–22.
  7. ^ Bradshaw transferred to Ohio State after the 2023–24 season.

Naismith Hall of Fame Members

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The following Kentucky players, coaches, and contributors have been enshrined as individuals in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Year Inducted Name Position Years at Kentucky Enshrined as
1969 Adolph Rupp Head Coach 1930–1972 Coach
1978 Cliff Hagan Player, Administrator 1950–1954; 1975–1989 Player
1982 Frank Ramsey Player 1950–1953 Player
1993 Dan Issel Player 1967–1970 Player
2000 C.M. Newton Player, Administrator 1949–1951; 1989–2000 Contributor
2008 Pat Riley Player 1964–1967 Coach
2013 Rick Pitino Head Coach 1989–1997 Coach
2015 John Calipari Head Coach 2009–2024 Coach
2015 Louie Dampier Player 1964–1967 Player
2020 Eddie Sutton Head Coach 1985–1989 Coach
UK Hall of Fame Members

In addition to these, Adrian Smith was a member of the 1960 US Olympic team that was inducted as a unit in 2010.

Olympians

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The following Kentucky players and coaches have represented their country in basketball in the Summer Olympic Games:

Year Player/Coach Country Location Medal
1948 Cliff Barker  United States (USA) London Gold
1948 Ralph Beard  United States (USA) London Gold
1948 Alex Groza  United States (USA) London Gold
1948 Wah Wah Jones  United States (USA) London Gold
1948 Ken Rollins  United States (USA) London Gold
1948 Adolph Rupp (asst. coach)  United States (USA) London Gold
1956 Billy Evans  United States (USA) Melbourne Gold
1960 Adrian Smith  United States (USA) Rome Gold
2000 Tubby Smith
(asst. coach)
 United States (USA) Sydney Gold
2008 Tayshaun Prince  United States (USA) Beijing Gold
2012 Anthony Davis  United States (USA) London Gold
2016 DeMarcus Cousins  United States (USA) Rio de Janeiro Gold
2020 Bam Adebayo  United States (USA) Tokyo Gold
2020 Devin Booker  United States (USA) Tokyo Gold
2020 Keldon Johnson  United States (USA) Tokyo Gold
UK Olympians

References

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  1. ^ "UK Creates Athletics Hall of Fame". UK Wildcats News. April 27, 2005. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  2. ^ Adolph Rupp trophy winner: John Wall, Kentucky Archived January 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Davis wins Wooden National Player of the Year Award". WKYT-TV. March 31, 2012. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  4. ^ "Past Winners: College Awards". Atlanta Tipoff Club. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Oscar Robertson Trophy". United States Basketball Writers Association. Archived from the original on May 22, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  6. ^ "Awards: AP Player of the Year Winner". Sports-Reference CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe Wins 2022 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's Men's Player of the Year" (Press release). Los Angeles Athletic Club. April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Cooley, SEC's Tshiebwe, Kessler Named 2022 Men's Naismith Awards Winners" (Press release). Atlanta Tipoff Club. April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Beard, Aaron (April 1, 2022). "Kentucky's Tshiebwe named AP men's college player of year". Associated Press. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "Arizona's Lloyd Headlines NABC Division I Major Award Winners" (Press release). National Basketball Coaches Association. March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  11. ^ DeCourcy, Mike (March 9, 2022). "Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe is Sporting News' College Basketball Player of the Year". Sporting News. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Kentucky's Tshiebwe Wins 2021–22 Oscar Robertson Trophy" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. April 1, 2022. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c [1][permanent dead link] NABC.org Retrieved on March 30, 2009
  14. ^ [2] AP via ESPN.com Retrieved on March 30, 2009
  15. ^ a b "Sporting News' College Basketball All-America Team - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News". Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010. Sporting News Retrieved on March 9, 2010
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  • "Retired Jerseys". University of Kentucky Athletics. University of Kentucky Wildcats Athletic Department. 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.