Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Top Players at Each Position in the John Calipari Era

Mar 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Dakari Johnson (44) reacts as a West Virginia Mountaineers player lays on the court during the first half in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

#5 Dakari Johnson

Coming in at number five is the guy who had to play in the shadows of many great players, but found a way into the hearts of Kentucky fans, while also finding a way to improve his game and make impacts whenever he was given the opportunity.

Dakari Johnson, the kid with the biggest smile on the team, standing 6-11 and weighing 257-pounds from Brooklyn, New York, is who I chose as the number 5 center in the Calipari Era.

In his freshman season as a Wildcat he averaged 14.1 minutes per game, shot 56.8 percent from the field, didn’t attempt any three-pointers, shot 44.7 percent from the free throw line, grabbed 154 rebounds, 11 assists, 23 blocks, 9 steals and 202 points. Not a terrible stat line for someone playing in the shadows.

Things improved significantly over the last season for Johnson. He averaged 16.3 minutes per game, shot 50.6 percent from the field, again, didn’t attempt a single three-pointer, shot 62.5 from the free throw line (huge improvement), grabbed 179 rebounds, 29 assists, 36 blocks, 14 steals and 248 points. Huge improvements in a year for the big guy.

Now that he has departed, Wildcat fans will have to remember how bright of a smile and how full of personality Dakari Johnson was for the Wildcats for those two incredible seasons. It was hard to choose who came in fifth, all in their own way deserving the number one ranking, but Johnson does the number five spot justice.

Next: Flat-Top