List of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball honorees

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

Banner honorees

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Main article: Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

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)

Main article: Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year

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:

• Patrick Patterson, a freshman who won the 2008 coaches' award while Nick Calathes of Florida, also a freshman, won the AP award.
• Nerlens Noel, a freshman who won the 2013 coaches' award while junior college transfer Marshall Henderson of Ole Miss won the AP award.
• Reed Sheppard, a freshman who won the 2024 coaches' award while graduate transfer Dalton Knecht of Tennessee won the AP award (as well as both the coaches' and AP versions of the Player of the Year award).

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

Main article: Elite 90 Award

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

Main article: List of Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA draft

McDonald's All-Americans

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

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

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