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The High Court |
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Deep Thinkers Only... |
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The Best of Rupp...The Thrilling Thirty |
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In honor of 30 years of Kentucky basketball excellence displayed on the hardwood of Rupp Arena, The High Court of Sports and The Powdered Wig proudly present thirty of the finest UK players to grace the floor inside the legendary building. By position, here they are in groups of five, first team through sixth team. Don’t agree with The Wig’s picks? You can let him know who you think the first-teamers should be by emailing him at powderedwig@thehighcourtofsports.com. Also, be sure to take our Best of Rupp poll, and let us know who you believe to be the best at each position in the Rupp Arena era.
The High Court also wants to wish one of the most loyal and knowledgeable Wildcat fans in the Commonwealth, Mr. Dane Poe, a very happy 54th birthday. You can see Dane’s All-Rupp picks by clicking here...
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The Thrilling ThirtyNovember 1, 2005
As the University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball team celebrates its 30th season in luxurious Rupp Arena, we here at the High Court of Sports thought it would be appropriate to name the 30 Greatest UK Players in the Rupp Arena Era. This is no easy task and sheer numbers never tell the entire story. What matters most? Four years of sustained excellence or maybe two or three years of absolute brilliance? How much of a role should Final Fours and National Championships play in the ranking of players? Logistics such as determining a position for versatile players is also a consideration. Despite these issues and the fact that there is no way to settle them perfectly, we forged ahead to bring you The Thrilling Thirty – The Best of Rupp Arena!
Note: FF/NC indicates number of Final Fours and National Titles won as an active member of the team. Redshirt seasons do not count for winning percentage or the FF/NC totals.
Stats Courtesy www.ukfans.net
FIRST TEAM
Macy was the quintessential point guard for the ’78 National Champs and is clearly one of the most revered Wildcats of all time. Givens is also an easy selection with his 4 years of brilliance including the ’78 title game, even though he only played 2 seasons in Rupp Arena. Delk’s longevity and ’96 Final Four MVP gives him the edge at the “2”, while Bowie’s impact on the game defensively gets him in over Turpin at center. The real drama was played out at PF, with Walker getting the nod over Mashburn. Ultimately, four years outranked three. They played different styles, but Sky-Walker was slightly more dominating in his era and in his style of play, while remaining for the entire four years.
SECOND TEAM
Wouldn’t you like to see a game between the first two teams? Mashburn, Turpin and Chapman barely missed the cut for the First Team and are all worthy of such status. Mash lost a squeaker at PF, and while Turpin was a better low post scorer, Bowie’s passing and defense trumped him for 1st team honors. King Rex’s two years were as good as any, but the overall numbers and big tourney success eluded him. Meanwhile, Turner eases into the 2nd team on the primarily on the basis of his postseason success and the most games played. Prince put together a kingly resume, but never got a Final Four.
THIRD TEAM
The two-year success of Mercer, both individually and team-wise, gets him a spot alongside some four-season stalwarts on the 3rd team. Robey and Phillips were the original Twin Towers, won the ’78 title and are reunited here. Both posted very good career numbers, and Robey’s would be even better were it not for injury. Bogans had a sometimes tumultuous tenure in Lexington, but posted career numbers worthy of this position despite not reaching a Final Four. Davender’s story is similar to Bogans, as Easy Ed spent his career in the shadow of Walker and Chapman.
FOURTH TEAM
Mr. Intangible Reggie Hanson captains this squad of mostly overachievers. Anderson’s career was curtailed by a knee injury, but his performance cannot be overlooked. Padgett went from unheralded to irreplaceable during the height of Wildcat winning in the 90’s, while Fitch chiseled his way to some four-year totals that anyone would be proud of, finishing as one of the best rebounding guards in UK annals. The diminutive Ford was a dead-eye shooter who took full advantage of the 3 point shot with 164 his final two seasons.
FIFTH TEAM
The effervescent Pelphrey heads this list of Wildcats. Pel’s on-court savvy allowed him to adapt beautifully to Pitino’s style and he became a player whose numbers belied his talent level. Minniefield was a true playmaker with serious athleticism in Hall’s post-oriented offense, while Sheppard elevated his game to mythical status in the ’98 championship run. Hayes was the embodiment of hard-working leadership, maximizing his physical skills on the way to tying the school record for consecutive starts. Magliore was much-maligned early in his career, yet emerged as a viable weapon on both ends of the court later on.
SIXTH TEAM
Truthfully, I am little afraid for Bennett to see this. It seems like he should rank higher, but the PF position is loaded which shuffled him to the 6th team. Master had an underrated career as he was forced to turn down shots in the pre-3 point era of Turpin and Bowie. Feldhaus is a personal favorite who accepted a slightly diminished role to make room for Mashburn late in his career, and Epps gets credit for his defense, leadership and winning to offset his lower offensive numbers. Estill should have worked to get his final year of eligibility, but his talent is worthy of membership in the Top 30.
Tell the Court who you think the greatest UK players of the Rupp Arena are at each position by taking the Best of Rupp Poll, here...
To view updated poll results, click here...
For the High Court’s breakdown of the Rupp Arena era’s top fifty (by position and regardless of position), click here...
For the Judicial Review on the Thrilling Thirty, click here...
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