Since being hired in 2009, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has been developing top-level talent that can play at the next level. In his first season alone with the Wildcats, he produced three lottery picks in John Wall (No. 1 overall), DeMarcus Cousins (No. 5) and Patrick Patterson (No. 14).
Since 2010, Kentucky has produced 22 lottery picks, the most of any school during that time frame. The Wildcats have had three first overall picks since in Wall, Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl Anthony-Towns (2015).
Calipari has also produced a handful of top-flight goalkeeper talent. Even though he didn’t start in his only season at Lexington, Devin Booker went on to have a stellar run with the Phoenix Suns and led them to the NBA Finals in the 2021 ninth season.
Some of the players on this list, like Wall and Cousins, have already reached their peak at the NBA level. Others like Booker, Shay Gilgos-Alexander, and Daron Fox in their prime. Here is a list of the greatest NBA players at their peak outside of Kentucky that Calipari coached.
1. Anthony Davis
When he’s healthy, Davis is one of the best players in the world. In his 11-year NBA career, Davis averaged 24 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks. In his only season at Kentucky, Davis had one of the best defensive seasons in NCAA history, and those traits carried over directly into the NBA. After beginning his career with the Pelicans, Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and created a 1-2 punch championship with LeBron James. He is an eight-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA First Team four times and appeared on the All-Defensive Team four times. Injuries have been an issue for Davis during his time in Los Angeles, but it’s hard to argue that another player on this list has been better at the top of his game than Davis.
2. Devin Booker
Booker flew under the radar during his time at Kentucky and came off the bench as a freshman. That didn’t stop him from becoming a lottery pick and being one of the youngest players ever selected in the 2015 NBA Draft. At the age of 20, Booker became the youngest player in NBA history to score 70 points, and his career has been on a steady rise ever since. The addition of Chris Paul helped rock the Suns from a lottery team to Western Conference champions. Booker is a three-time All-Star and appeared on the All-NBA First Team in 2022. He hasn’t peaked yet but is coming off a season where he averaged 27.8 points and 5.5 assists.
3. John Wall
Wall’s recent prime seasons in the NBA, which included keeping a full season with the Rockets and being traded back to Houston after spending just over half a season with the Los Angeles Clippers, couldn’t be overshadowed. During his heyday, Wall was an explosive, flashy point guard and one of the best two-way players in the league. Wall was the first pick from the Calipari era at Kentucky and became a five-time NBA All-Star. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2015, and although the Wizards never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his time with the team, his legacy will be remembered forever.
4. DeMarcus Cousins
At his peak, Cousins was the best big man in the NBA. During his later years with the Sacramento Kings, he began to develop an outside shot, which expanded his game. Cousins made the NBA All-Star Game four times and was famously traded to the Pelicans after the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. Cousins suffered a few devastating injuries during the peak of his NBA career, headlined by a torn left Achilles tendon. That injury sidelined Cousins for almost an entire calendar year. Cousins is currently playing in Puerto Rico, and his NBA career appears to be over. Achieving more team success during his time in Sacramento would have gone a long way to boosting his personal accolades.
5. Gilgius Alexander tea
The debate over where to rank Gilgus-Alexander, Fox and Murray is heated. All three players are coming off the best seasons of their NBA careers for different reasons. Gilgeous-Alexander ranked fourth in scoring this past season, made First Team All-NBA and earned some MVP consideration. It was clear when the Thunder traded Paul George to the Clippers in a deal that included the SGA that he would be the cornerstone behind one of the most amazing rebuilds in NBA history. The Thunder weren’t expected to do much this season as a rebuilding team, but they did get to play. The SGA ceiling is still high, and he has a chance to be an MVP candidate for the upcoming seasons.
6. Daron Fox
Fox is the main reason the Sacramento Kings broke the longest running drought in NBA history last season. He elevated his game from star to star with his performance in the playoffs, which included 38 points in his first-ever NBA action. Fox shone for Kentucky during the 2017 NCAA Tournament and elevated their game even further during the NBA Playoffs. A blow to the Fox game is that his team couldn’t win during his first five seasons, but he put those doubts aside last season. Fox is yet to reach his peak, but the 2022-23 season has been by far the most successful season of his career.
7. Jamal Murray
Injuries, including a torn ACL in 2021, forced Murray to miss a significant time in his career. This limited his growth and the awards he could get in the process. He wasn’t named to any NBA All-Star or All-NBA team, but he proved to be a true second choice on this all-tournament team last season when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Murray has had electric performances in the NBA Bubble in 2020, but it still doesn’t top what he accomplished during the 2022-23 season. He may not be a better overall player than Bam Adebayo or Karl Anthony-Towns, but he now has something they don’t: a ring.
8. Carl Anthony Townes
At one point in his career, KAT was considered one of the few players you would want to build your team around. The Minnesota Timberwolves taking possession of Rudy Gobert made him completely change their game. Together on the floor, Gobert became the player on the inside while KAT played like an expansion quad. KAT fell slightly behind in the 2019-2020 season when he posted 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He missed time last season due to injury, and this season it will be a huge sign if he can get back to this level of play. The COVID-19-shortened season remains the best of his career.
9. Bamba Adebayo
Adebayo was the second choice on two separate Heat teams that have reached and lost the NBA Finals. He is a two-time NBA All-Star, but made the All-NBA Defensive Second Team four straight seasons. He is one of the best frame guards in the league and a real threat to win Defensive Player of the Year awards every season. Like most of the players on this list who are still actively playing, he has yet to reach his peak, but his resume can stack up against the best big men in the NBA.
10. Julius Randel
Randle broke his right leg in his first NBA game, forcing him to miss an entire rookie season with the Lakers. He then spent one season with the New Orleans Pelicans, but played the best basketball of his career with the New York Knicks, a two-time NBA All-Star. It’s hard to see anyone picking Randle over any player ranked higher than him on this list, but he deserves to be mentioned among the best players during Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky.