Top 3 Kentucky Point Guards of the Calipari Era
By Alex Weber
3. De’Aaron Fox
De’Aaron Fox–the most fun personality in the world and a skinny lightning bolt point guard. Not to sound like a broken record, but Fox is another one of my favorite players. He is just so damn fun to watch. With a slick handle, awesome hair, and a lethal mid-range pull-up, Fox cemented himself as an unforgettable Calipari point-guard.
De’Aaron Fox underwent one of the most impressive transformations I’ve seen from a Kentucky player. At the start of his freshman season, Fox was fantastic. He even secured the program’s second-ever triple-double in a Bahamas victory over Arizona State. But by the end of 2017, Fox was arguably the best player in the entire country. He was vaporizing defenses and wreaking havoc himself on that end. I think he is my favorite basketball player in the world to watch. Even now, I spent hours watching Fox’s Kings on NBA League Pass last season.
From a personality standpoint, De’Aaron is the perfect leader of a basketball team, on and off the court. During games, he plays with a perpetual smile and energizing spirit. Fox is a role model for how to play basketball: ENJOY IT! De’Aaron’s game is glitzy and fast-paced but he never leaves his teammates behind. For me, watching De’Aaron Fox is like viewing a Fast and Furious movie in the theater. It’s warp-speed, hard to follow, and pandemonium is breaking out everywhere. De’Aaron is controlled pandemonium. On the court, he’s Letty behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
Of course, the memorable moment from De’Aaron Fox was his 40-point outburst in Kentucky’s Sweet Sixteen victory over UCLA. That night, the same night when Devin Booker scored 70, Fox slammed the door on the De’Aaron Fox/Lonzo Ball debate with a dominating performance. Ball was drafted higher, but anyone who knew anything about college basketball knew how unwise that decision was.
Must Read. Julius Randle Will be an All-Star in New York. light
My prominant memory of Fox (aside from his drubbing of Lonzo) was his ability to close games. Yes, Malik Monk was the leading scorer and primary bucket-getter most of the time but Fox was the best player on that team. When the score was tight in the final minutes, everyone shrank but De’Aaron. It was his stage. I recall competitive SEC games where Fox, over and over again, would take it to the basket and score in increasingly ridiculous ways. You could always count on De’Aaron Fox to make every winning play. I think that’s what people forget about him. One of the legendary point guards under Calipari.
Reasons to Pick De’Aaron Fox: Infectious energy/spirit/personality, speed, precise passing, situational awareness, played his best in big games/moments, fantastic hair.
Who do YOU want?