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

Sep 26, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Marquis Teague (12) poses for a photo during media day at the Brooklyn Nets Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

#5 Marquis Teague

A fan favorite by all means, but one thing that Ulis was unable to do that this point guard could do is win a National Championship. That is right, the fourth best floor general for Calipari was the Indiana native Marquis Teague.

The brother of Atlanta Hawks star Jeff Teague has not been able to find the same success in the NBA that he did in college. However, for Calipari his stats were exactly what the Wildcats needed. Teague averaged 10 points per game, 4.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.

With the likes of Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Terrance Jones… Teague did not have to come in and be a star. At times, he showed flashes of greatness that made him look like the best point guard in the nation. Even though the Wildcats would end up losing on a buzzer beater, it was Marquis Teague that fired up the Cats with 15 points and 5 assists to make it a game at Indiana. He would later play the Hoosiers again and score 14 with 7 assists to lead Kentucky to a sweet sixteen victory.

Teague was not a huge fan favorite by any means. He averaged nearly 3 turnovers a game and looked as if he was always holding back. Unfair to him he had to be compared to the likes of John Wall and Brandon Knight. Another reason for his lesser popularity was his decision to leave for the NBA. Many felt that it was not his time, and with his help then maybe Kentucky and Calipari could have avoided a trip to the N.I.T.

Despite all of that, the overwhelming fact that he was able to help lead Kentucky to a National Championship as a freshman is still a resounding feat. Teague is deserving of this ranking, and hopefully in time he can find the right roll for him in the NBA.

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