This is a list of Kentucky Wildcats basketball players who have attained notability through their performance in the sport of basketball and other endeavors. The list includes over 150 current and former players. The list is presented in alphabetical order but is sortable by the years and positions at which they played.
List of current and former players
edit| Name | Position | Hometown | First season | Last season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Aleksinas | Center | Litchfield, Connecticut | 1978 | 1979 | Member of the 1978 National Championship team. Transferred after his sophomore season to Connecticut. |
| Shagari Alleyne | Center | Bronx, New York | 2004 | 2006 | Tallest player in the history of Kentucky basketball (7'3"). |
| Derek Anderson | Guard | Louisville, Kentucky | 1996 | 1997 | Member of the 1996 National Championship team. Transferred to Kentucky from Ohio State. |
| Dwight Anderson | Guard | Dayton, Ohio | 1979 | 1980 | Nicknamed the Blur. Transferred after his sophomore season to Southern Cal. |
| Kelenna Azubuike | Forward | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 2003 | 2005 | Entered the NBA Draft after his junior season. |
| Scotty Baesler | Guard | Lexington, Kentucky | 1961 | 1963 | Former U.S. Congressman, Kentucky 6th District (D). |
| Antwain Barbour | Guard | Elizabethtown, Kentucky | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Cliff Barker | Guard | Yorktown, Indiana | 1947 | 1949 | Member of the 1948 and the 1949 National Championship teams. Was an All-SEC guard in 1948 and 1949. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| Dale Barnstable | Guard | Antioch, Illinois | 1947 | 1950 | Member of the 1948 and the 1949 National Championship teams. |
| Ralph Beard | Guard | Louisville, Kentucky | 1946 | 1949 | Three time consensus First team All-American. Member of the 1948 and the 1949 National Championship teams. One of Rupp's Fabulous Five. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| Winston Bennett | Forward | Louisville, Kentucky | 1984 | 1988 | Was an All-SEC forward. Was Kentucky Mr. Basketball his senior season in high school. Former head coach of Kentucky State. |
| Jerry Bird | Forward | Corbin, Kentucky | 1954 | 1956 | His jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| James Blackmon | Guard | Marion, Indiana | 1984 | 1987 | |
| Eric Bledsoe | Guard | Birmingham, Alabama | 2010 | 2010 | An All-SEC Freshman in 2010. Declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman season. |
| Keith Bogans | Guard | Alexandria, Virginia | 2000 | 2003 | Was the 2003 SEC Player of the Year. Was a consensus second team All-American in 2003. He is #4 on Kentucky's scoring list. |
| Devin Booker | Guard | Moss Point, Mississippi | 2015 | 2015 | An All-SEC guard in 2015. Declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman season. |
| Sam Bowie | Center | Lebanon, Pennsylvania | 1980 | 1984 | Was a consensus second team All-American in 1983. His #31 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. Was the #2 overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. |
| Michael Bradley | Forward | Worcester, Massachusetts | 1998 | 1999 | Member of the 1998 National Championship team. Transferred after his sophomore season to Villanova. |
| Ramel Bradley | Guard | New York, New York | 2005 | 2008 | Nicknamed Smooth. Averaged 20 points per game his senior season. |
| Bob Brannum | Center | Winfield, Kansas | 1943 | 1944 | Was a consensus first team All-American in 1944. Served in World War II. Transferred after his sophomore season to Michigan State. |
| Al Bruno | Center | West Chester, Pennsylvania | 1949 | 1949 | Member of the 1949 National Championship team. Also a three-sport athlete at Kentucky playing football and track with basketball. |
| Bob Burrow | Forward | Wells, Texas | 1955 | 1956 | Was a consensus second team All-American in 1956. His #50 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| Dwane Casey | Guard | Morganfield, Kentucky | 1976 | 1979 | Member of the 1978 National Championship team. Current Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors. |
| Mike Casey | Guard | Shelbyville, Kentucky | 1969 | 1971 | Three-time First team All-SEC. Missed the 1970 season with a broken leg. |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | Center | Olathe, Kansas | 2013 | 2015 | Was a consensus first team All-American in 2015. Was the 2015 NABC Defensive Player of the Year. Declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season. |
| Rex Chapman | Guard | Owensboro, Kentucky | 1987 | 1988 | Nicknamed King Rex. Was First team All-SEC both of his two seasons. Declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season. |
| Larry Conley | Guard | Ashland, Kentucky | 1964 | 1966 | One of Rupp's Runts. A three-time All-SEC player. Current College Basketball TV broadcaster with Fox Sports. |
| Jimmy Dan Conner | Guard | Lawrenceburg, Kentucky | 1973 | 1975 | Was an All-SEC player in 1973. |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Center | Mobile, Alabama | 2010 | 2010 | Was a consensus second team All-American in 2010. Was the 2010 SEC Freshman of the Year. Declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman season. |
| Johnny Cox | Guard | Hazard, Kentucky | 1956 | 1959 | Member of the 1958 National Championship team. Was a consensus first team All-American in 1958. His #24 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| Joe Crawford | Guard | Detroit, Michigan | 2005 | 2008 | |
| Louie Dampier | Guard | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1965 | 1967 | Was a two-time consensus second team All-American in 1966 and 1967. Was a member of Rupp's Runts. Played 12 seasons in the ABA and NBA with the Kentucky Colonels and San Antonio Spurs; named to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997; inducted as a player to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. |
| Erik Daniels | Forward | Cincinnati, Ohio | 2001 | 2004 | |
| Dan Issel | Forward | Batavia, Illinois | 1968 | 1970 | The Wildcats' all-time leading men's scorer and a two-time consensus All-American in 1969 (second team) and 1970 (first team). Played 15 seasons in the ABA and NBA with the Kentucky Colonels and Denver Nuggets; named to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997; inducted as a player to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Also coached the Nuggets in six seasons during two stints. |
| Jamal Mashburn | Forward | The Bronx, New York | 1990 | 1993 | Consensus first-team All-American (1993) and SEC Player of the Year (1993) |
| Julius Randle | Forward | Dallas, Texas | 2014 | 2014 | Entered into 2014 NBA draft after his freshman season. |
| Pat Riley | Forward | Schenectady, New York | 1965 | 1967 | Member of Rupp's Runts who played nine seasons in the NBA, winning an NBA title with the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers. Went on to greater fame as a coach, winning four NBA titles with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat; named one of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History in 1996 and inducted to the Hall of Fame as a coach in 2008. |
| Aminu Timberlake | Forward | Chicago, Illinois | 1992 | 1995 | |
| Jack Tingle | Guard | Bedford, Kentucky | 1944 | 1947 | |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Forward | Metuchen, New Jersey | 2015 | 2015 | Was a consensus second team All-American in 2015. The #1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the second in UK history. Unanimous selection as NBA Rookie of the Year in 2016. |
| Lou Tsioropoulos | Guard | Lynn, Massachusetts | 1950 | 1953 | 1951 National Championship team. His #16 jersey hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena. |
| Wayne Turner | Guard | Boston, Massachusetts | 1996 | 1999 | Member 1996 and 1998 National Championship teams. |
| Melvin Turpin | Center | Lexington, Kentucky | 1981 | 1984 | Was a consensus second team All-American in 1984. |
| Tyler Ulis | Guard | Lima, Ohio | 2015 | Present | |
| Eloy Vargas | Forward | Moca, Dominican Republic | 2011 | 2012 | Member of the 2012 National Championship team. |
| Antoine Walker | Forward | Chicago, Illinois | 1995 | 1996 | Member of the 1996 National Championship team. Was a first team All-SEC in 1996. |
| Kenny Walker | Forward | Roberta, Georgia | 1983 | 1986 | Was the 1985 and 1986 SEC Player of the Year. Was a consensus first team All-American in 1986. |
| Bobby Watson | Forward | Owensboro, Kentucky | 1949 | 1952 | Member of the 1949 and the 1951 National Championship teams. |
| John Wall | Guard | Raleigh, North Carolina | 2010 | 2010 | Was a consensus first team All-American in 2010. The #1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the first in UK history. |
| Kyle Wiltjer | Forward | Portland, Oregon | 2012 | 2013 | Member of the 2012 National Championship team. Transferred to Gonzaga after sophomore season. |
| Sean Woods | Guard | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1989 | 1992 | Was a member of the Unforgettables. Former head coach at Morehead State. |
| James Young | Guard | Rochester, Michigan | 2014 | 2014 | Entered into 2014 NBA draft after his freshman season. |