The Most Impactful Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Players (1981-82 – present): #29 Wayne Turner

#5 WAYNE TURNER

6’2″ GUARD (1995-1999)

Beaver Country Day High School, KY

 

Wayne Turner isn’t remembered as the flashiest player or the most dominant player while he was atUK, but he was the model of consistency, and consistently led hisUKteams to victory.

In high school, Turner garnered nearly every national high school award there was. He was named Gatorade State Player of Year, Parade All-American, and a McDonalds All-American. He committed to the Cats under Head Coach Rick Pitino and played in all but one game during the Cars dominating 1996 championship run, though he played sparingly at 13 minutes per game. His playing time doubled his sophomore year as he finished second on the team in assists as the Cats were National Runner Ups that year.

Finally in his junior season, Turner became the primary point guard for the Comeback Cats whose improbable NCAA Tournament run led to the school’s 7th National Championship. Turner led the Cats in assists his junior and senior years, and finished 4th all-time in dimes dropped while at UK.