DeMarcus Cousins was an unstoppable force in his one year at Kentucky. Averaging 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds, Cousins was a walking double-double and a matchup nightmare.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the smooth operator of the 38–1 Wildcats. Though his stats (10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG) were modest, his impact was monumental.
De’Aaron Fox was a jet on the hardwood. With his signature headband and turbo-charged first step, he became a fan favorite, especially while putting up 16.7 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
The ’90s were full of stars, but Tony Delk was the guy when it counted most. A four-year standout and leader of the Untouchables squad, Delk scored 1,890 points in his career and led Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA title.
John Wall brought electricity back to Lexington. As Calipari’s first No. 1 recruit, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals, turning the Wildcats into title contenders overnight.
A Louisville native, Jack “Goose” Givens was the hometown kid who delivered Kentucky’s fifth national title. His 41-point performance in the 1978 NCAA Championship game against Duke is still one of the greatest individual outings in tournament history.
Antoine “Employee Number Eight” Walker was a force of nature with swag to match. He averaged 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds during UK’s 1996 title run. With that, it was a do-everything forward in the golden era of Pitino basketball.
Monster Mash was the bridge between the Sutton era and Pitino’s renaissance. In 1992–93, Jamal Mashburn averaged 21 points and 8.4 boards, guiding UK to the Final Four and re-establishing the program’s dominance.
One season. One title. One unibrowed legend. Anthony Davis averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and an eye-popping 4.7 blocks per game.
Before the modern stars, there was Dan the Man. Issel scored a ridiculous 2,138 points (25.7 per game) and hauled in 1,078 rebounds over three years. He still ranks among the program’s top scorers decades later.
