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

Dec 8, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) between plays against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Demarcus Cousins & Karl-Anthony Towns

So, let’s jump right on in. Karl-Anthony Towns and Demarcus Cousins have acquired the tie for the #2 center at Kentucky since John Calipari has been head coach.

Both Cousins and Towns played a vital role in the seasons the Wildcats had, Cousins in 2010 and Towns in 2015. Both teams were one of the best in the history of college basketball, both the best team in the NCAA the time and favorites to win the title and both failing to win the title, as they lost to a team where everything was going right. Both seasons ended in heartbreak, the most recent one with Towns ending with the biggest heartbreak I have ever felt. 38-1 is just unrealistic, winning 38 straight games, man, they were good.

Personalities between Cousins and Towns were significantly different, however. Many considered Cousins a thug, which I never agreed to, I thought he was misunderstood. He was a powerhouse on the court and wasn’t going to take being bullied, he played like a man. My favorite memory of him was during the 2010 SEC Tournament Championship Game against Mississippi State. John Wall had missed a last second shot to tie the game or win it, but Cousins was right there to get the shot off right at the buzzer. Dogpile. Huge dogpile. One of the most exhilarating plays I’ve seen in quite some time, just like Aaron Harrison’s three last second three-point winning shots. Even more so, Cousins has made quite the name for himself in the NBA, he’s one of the strongest players out there.

Towns was more of a sweetheart. He was classy, proper, happy and just all around a good kid. He was always excited and always smiling, even while giving it his all. He will forever be a fan favorite, even opposing schools couldn’t hate him, because of the personality he was. He is the epitome of who you want to represent your school and your team. His role on the 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats team will always be a memory for fans.

Both Cousins and Towns are fan favorites and deserve the #1 spot, so I’ve tied them at the number two spot, I can imagine you know who is going to be ranked #1 after this.

Next: Who Else?