John Calipari’s All-Time Kentucky Basketball Team

Few NCAA men’s basketball programs have pumped out NBA first round picks in the modern age quite like John Calipari did during his 15-year run in Lexington, with 35 first round selections during his run inside Rupp Arena.

From 2010 No. 1 overall pick John Wall to 2023 10th overall pick Carson Wallace, Calipari’s specialty has been forming a conga line from Rupp to the pros, despite Kentucky failing to advance past the opening weekend of the tournament since 2019, something Kentucky sportsbooks know well.

Utilizing SportsReference.com, BetKentucky.com developed the best Kentucky Men’s Basketball team of John Calipari’s head coach era from 2009-10 to 2023-24. The players included had to have played for the Wildcats during this time period and it is based on average win shares per season with the team.

Calipari's All-Time UK Team

Below is Calipari's all-time team from BetKentucky.com, home to the top Kentucky sportsbook promos.

Position	Player	Years w/Team	Avg. Win Shares
Starter	John Wall	2009-2010	6.3
Starter	Jamal Murray	2015-2016	6.1
Starter	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	2011-2012	6.0
Starter	Anthony Davis	2011-2012	9.9
Starter	Oscar Tshiebwe	2021-2023	7.3
Bench	Tyler Ulis	2014-2016	5.7
Bench	Malik Monk	2016-2017	5.8
Bench	Julius Randle	2013-2014	5.9
Bench	DeMarcus Cousins	2009-2010	6.5
Bench	Karl-Anthony Towns	2014-2015	6.4

Who Makes The All-Calipari Team at UK?

The top players at UK during Calipari’s tenure when it came to average win shares were Anthony Davis (9.9 WS), Oscar Tshiebwe (7.3 WS), DeMarcus Cousins (6.5 WS), Karl-Anthony Towns (6.4 WS), Wall (6.3 WS) and Jamal Murray (6.1 WS).

The 10 men to make the UK all-Cal team have combined to reach 24 All-Star games, led by Davis (eight ASG appearances), while Jamal Murray (2023) and Davis (2020) have won NBA titles with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

Throw in Julius Randle’s NBA Most Improved Player award in 2021 and Karl-Anthony Towns’ Rookie of the Year honor in 2016 and you have a full rundown on the accolades that the 10 players to make the All-Cal team have achieved in the pros.

All of the above prove that few teams have done as well, both in college and the pros, quite like Calipari’s Kentucky teams did over the years, with a cavalcade of stars making their way through Rupp Arena on their way to hardwood celebrity status in the NBA.

Whether the college hoops stalwart will replicate that level of success in Fayetteville remains to be seen, though few can count Calipari out based on the track record he amassed during his 15-year run in Lexington.

Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.