The greatest players in Kentucky men's basketball history

Groza was captain and one of the stars on Adolph Rupp's "Fabulous Five" group that won Kentucky its first national championship in 1948. Groza, a two-time consensus first-team All-American (1947, '49), helped the Wildcats repeat as national champs in 1949. He was named Most Outstanding Player in both tournaments and ranks 10th all time in school history with 1,744 points. Groza averaged 14.5 points for his career at Kentucky, then he was later banned by the NBA for his involvement in the infamous NCAA point-shaving scandal of 1951.

Another member of the "Fabulous Five," Beard was a three-time first-team All-American and was also part of the Wildcats' national championship squads in 1948 and '49. He averaged 12.5 points for the 1947-48 team, and 10.9 for his career at Kentucky. Like teammate Alex Groza, Beard a won a gold medal as part of the United States' 1948 Olympic basketball team and was banned by the NBA for his part in the NCAA point-shaving scandal.

Part of the Wildcats' 1951 national championship squad, Hagan and his teammates likely would have achieved more notable success had the program not been suspended for the 1952-53 campaign due to the fallout of the point-shaving scandal. Hagan, however, still enjoyed a stellar three seasons of play at Kentucky. He twice earned first-team All-American honors. Hagan's 1,035 rebounds rank third in school history, and he also totaled 1,475 points. His 13.4 career rebounding average remains No. 1 at Kentucky, and his 19.2 scoring average is seventh.

A teammate of Cliff Hagan, Ramsey earned second- and third-team All-American honors in 1951, '52, and '54. Ramsey totaled 1,344 points during his collegiate career and averaged 19.6 during the 1953-54 campaign. However, like Hagan, Ramsey was truly a beast on the boards. His 1,038 rebounds are second-most in school history and his 11.4 career average sits fifth in the annals of Kentucky basketball. He averaged 12.8 boards during the Wildcats' 1950-51 championship season.

Nash holds the honor of fastest Kentucky player to reach 1,000 points. He did so in 45 games. Nash's 1,770 points rank ninth in school history, but his 22.7 scoring average is second among all Wildcats. The two-time second-team All-American (1962, '63) — and first-teamer in 1964 — averaged 24.0 points in his final season at Kentucky. He also ranks fifth in school history with 962 career rebounds, and his 12.3 average in that department is third.

A member of the 1966 Kentucky squad that was upset 72-65 by Texas Western in the national final, Dampier scored 19 of his 1,575 career points in that contest. Dampier ranks fifth in Kentucky history with a 19.7 scoring average, and he shot 50.8 percent from the field for his career. He was twice named a second-team All-American (1966, '67) before he enjoyed a stellar career in the ABA, where he was a seven-time All-Star.

The casual college hoops fan probably relates better with Pat Riley  the coach — complete with those fashionable suits and slicked-back hair. He guided both the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat to NBA titles. 

However, Riley was one of the finest college players of his time. Also a member of the '66 national runner-up squad at Kentucky, Riley scored 19 points in the title-game defeat and averaged a career-high 22.0 that season — ranked ninth in school history — to earn SEC Player of the Year (from The Associated Press) honors. Riley's 18.3 career scoring average resides in the top 10 among all Wildcats while he also averaged 8.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

There are Kentucky basketball experts and historians who won't hesitate to call Issel the greatest player in the history of the program. It's been more than 50 years, but Issel is still the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,138 points and 1,078 rebounds across three seasons. He's also the Wildcats' career leader in scoring average (25.8), single-season points (948), single-season scoring average (33.9), and single-season made field goals (369), and more. Issel, who starred in both the ABA and NBA, was a consensus All-American in 1970.

Another prolific scorer in the history of Kentucky basketball, Grevey's 1,801 points in three seasons rank seventh all time. His 21.4 career scoring average ranks third in school history while the 23.5 points he averaged in 1974-75 are sixth in the annals of Kentucky basketball. The two-time SEC Player of the Year (1973, '75) and first-team All-American (1975) scored a game-high 34 during the Wildcats' 92-85 loss to UCLA in the '75 national-title contest — John Wooden's last as Bruins coach.

After winning the 1958 national championship, Kentucky went 20 years before doing it again. The leader of the 1977-78 group under coach Joe B. Hall was Givens, who scored 41 points in the Wildcats' 94-88 finals victory over Duke. Givens, third all time in Kentucky history with 2,038 points, was that tournament's Most Outstanding Player and the SEC Male Athlete of the Year for '77-'78. Givens is also the school's career leader in made field goals (843). He shot 51.5 percent during his time at Kentucky and averaged 6.4 rebounds with 2.2 assists.

Another member of the Wildcats' 1978 national title squad, Macy averaged 12.5 points on 53.6 percent shooting and 5.6 assists that season — his first after transferring from Purdue. Macy would go on to become one of the most popular and beloved players in Kentucky basketball history. As a senior in 1979-80, Macy averaged a career-high 15.4 points, shot 52.5 percent, and recorded 4.7 assists per game en route to being named SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American.

Kenny "Sky" Walker was perhaps best known for his play above the rim and ferocious dunks. However, the 6-foot-8 Walker was more than just showtime. He was SEC Player of the Year in 1984-85, when he averaged 22.9 points (ranked eighth in Kentucky history) and 10.2 rebounds, and again the next season, when he put up 20.0 and 7.7. Walker's 2,080 career points rank second in school history and 550 made free throws are No. 1. The All-American sits sixth all-time among Wildcats players with 942 career rebounds.

When we talk about superstars within the Kentucky program, Mashburn should certainly be included. Loaded with talent, Mashburn is sixth in school history with 1,843 career points and twice averaged 21.0 or more. His 675 made field goals are the also sixth in school history, and he averaged 7.8 rebounds while at Kentucky. When the 1992-93 season concluded, Mashburn was honored as the SEC Player and Athlete of the Year, as well as a consensus first-team All-American.

When Kentucky won the 1996 national championship under Rick Pitino, Delk led the team with 17.8 points and scored a team-high 24 in the title game en route to earning Most Outstanding Player honors. When his four seasons at Kentucky were up, Delk had amassed 1,890 points and made 683 field goals — both ranked fifth in school history. Delk, the 1996 SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, also remains the school's all-time leader with 283 made 3-pointers. His 39.8 3-point shooting percentage is also among the top 10 at Kentucky.

Another elite scorer among Kentucky greats, Prince sits eighth in school history with 1,775 career points. He also ranks among the school's top 10 with 648 made field goals and 204 made 3-pointers. The 6-foot-9 Prince averaged a career-high 17.5 points in 2001-02, when he was named SEC Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American. He pulled down 757 rebounds, recorded 254 assists, 142 blocks and 110 steals during his stellar career.

Bogans might not have the brand-name value as others on this list, but he's worth inclusion among these Kentucky stars. He finished his Wildcats career with 1,923 points, the fourth-most in school history. In 2002-03, the SEC coaches tabbed Bogans the league's player of the year for averaging 15.7 points and shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. He ranks second among all Wildcats with 254 made 3-pointers, and no other Kentucky player has attempted more shots from beyond the arc than Bogans' 743.

We're getting into the one-and-done portion of our list. Before "Boogie" became a four-time NBA All-Star, he enjoyed a memorable freshman season at Kentucky. Cousins averaged 15.1 points on 55.8 percent shooting, plus 9.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.0 assists. He posted a double-double in 20 of the 38 games he played en route to earning SEC Rookie of the Year honors and status as a consensus second-team All-American. 

Playing along side DeMarcus Cousins, Wall also made his one season at Kentucky count. The exciting point guard averaged a team-high 16.6 points with 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals while starting all 37 games played. Wall, whose 241 assists from 2009-10 rank second in school history was the SEC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American in 2010.

Kentucky's most recent national championship came in 2012, and the 6-foot-10 Davis was obviously a major reason for that accomplishment. A runaway choice for SEC Player of the Year and consensus national player of the year, Davis averaged 14.2 points while making 62.3 percent of his shots. He also grabbed 10.4 boards and recorded 4.7 blocks per contest. In terms of leaving his statistical mark on the program, Davis is the school's all-time single-season leader with 186 blocks, which also rank sixth on Kentucky's career list. Meanwhile, his 415 rebounds are sixth-most for one campaign.

Monk put together another special one-and-done season at Kentucky. His 754 points from 2016-17 are the most by a Kentucky freshman, plus fourth all-time for a single season in school history. Monk, who shot 45 percent from the field and just under 40 from beyond the arc, topped the 30-point mark four times. His 47 against North Carolina on Dec. 17, 2016, are the most points by any Wildcats freshman and tied for sixth all time. He was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year, first-team all-conference, and SEC Player of the Year by The Associated Press.