Where do former Kentucky player rank among #1 overall NBA draft picks?

[ASFN Admin]

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team has been the most successful team in all of college basketball so far this century at placing players in the NBA. Former Cats are playing on a number of teams, and many of them are among the game's biggest stars. In addition, three former Kentucky stars were selected with the first overall pick since the year 2000.

USA TODAY Sports has taken a look at each of the No. 1 overall picks this century, and ranked them in order of NBA success. That includes the three former Wildcats. Where do they rank?

No. 12 - John Wall​

Wall was a part of John Calipari's first class in Lexington, and became a Wildcats legend. He averaged 16.6 poings and 6.5 assists per game before being selected first overall in 2010. Here's what Mark Gionnotto had to say:

Wall led the Wizards past the first round of the playoffs three times in four years during his prime after the franchise had accomplished the feat just once in the previous 30 years. The athletic point guard, who last played in an NBA game in January 2023, earned All-NBA and All-Defense honors one time apiece during his career.

No. 7 - Karl-Anthony Towns​

Towns was an elite recruit who made an instant impact for Kentucky. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while leading the Cats to the Final Four as a part of one of the greatest teams ever to not win a championship. Gionnoto says:

The 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year was a versatile two-way force for the Knicks as they won their first NBA championship since 1973 this season. Towns also earned third-team All-NBA honors for the third time in his career last year. One of the best 3-point shooting big men in league history, Towns previously led the Timberwolves to a playoff series win for the first time in 20 years.

No. 3 - Anthony Davis​

Davis is among the best players to ever play at Kentucky. He led the Wildcats to a national championship while averaging 14.2 pointss, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game. Gionnotto had this to say:

Davis ranks behind Dwight Howard on this list even though he was the NBA Finals MVP on the team Howard won a championship with because of how Davis' tenure with the team that took him No. 1 went. He had one playoff run with New Orleans before demanding a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis nonetheless became arguably the best two-way big man of his generation, and the argument is only due to the injuries that sidelined him over the years. Davis is a five-time All-NBA selection (including four first-team nods), a five-time All-Defensive pick and led the NBA in blocks three times.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball No. 1 draft picks ranking since 2000

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