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

Dec 5, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) dunks during the fourth quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center. The Nuggets won 108-105. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

#4 Nerlens Noel

Coming into the #4 position is the one, the only, Nerlens Noel. Don’t hate me, Big Blue Nation, I know he deserves to be much higher, but in all honesty, he and Dakari Johnson are lucky to even make the list. Calipari has made Kentucky a complete monster at the center position over the last few years.

I know, you may ask, “does this have to do with his injury?”
The answer is yes, yes it does. It was a rough season for the Wildcats, but Noel had a swag about him that would’ve helped carry the Wildcats into a better situation at the end of the season. We just didn’t get to see that, unfortunately. Had he completed a whole season, with how I’ve seen him play in the NBA, he would be higher on this list. This may be the hardest decision I’ll have to make during this project.

Noel, the center from Malden, Massachusetts, and currently a star for the Philadelphia 76ers, will always be remembered for announcing his college decision with the UK symbol shaved into his flat top. He was looking to become the next Anthony Davis until his ACL tear in Gainesville. Talk about a low blow for a struggling team. However, even with the injury, Noel was able to pick up the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team SEC, First-team All SEC, SEC Rookie of the Year and SEC All-Freshman Team. While that’s impressive, that darn injury hinders his ability to be higher on the Top Center’s list.

And everyone thinks Calipari is a point guards coach…right.

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