Kentucky is very good at basketball and that is especially true in the John Calipari era. The Wildcats are one of the nation’s “blue blood” programs and, while that extends to well before Calipari arrived, Kentucky has taken things to another level during his tenure.
While there would be heated discussion as to who the best player is that Calipari has mentored while in Lexington, Anthony Davis is on the short list and the former No. 1 overall pick weighed in on who he would choose for Kentucky’s all-time starting five.
It should be noted that Davis’ list did not go back very far. Names like Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Antoine Walker, Ralph Beard and Cliff Hagan would garner legitimate consideration but, to be fair, Davis could simply be listing his quintet from a pool of players that are still active in the NBA.
The lineup:
DeMarcus Cousins
Karl-Anthony Towns
John Wall
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Eric Bledsoe/Devin Booker
The choices that he makes aren’t all that wild. Current teammate DeMarcus Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns are obvious picks given that Davis is not including himself in the frontcourt and John Wall is a no-doubt inclusion at the point guard spot. Elsewhere, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a tremendous college player that happened to pair with Davis during his brief stint in Lexington and, while his NBA career hasn’t been awe-inspiring, he is worthy of inclusion.
As for the last spot, Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker battle it out and Davis is probably being too diplomatic here. Bledsoe is the (far) better player to this point in his NBA career. Booker was also quite good at Kentucky and will be good in the NBA but, for now, this seems like an easy choice.
This kind of thing can provide a great backdrop for discussion, though, and the legitimate all-time starting five at Kentucky would be incredible to name. Let the argument begin and, please, include Dan Issel.
