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Kentucky Basketball: Examining the all-time Tubby Smith team

By Joey Loose

Feb 17, 2007; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA: Kentucky Wildcats head coach Tubby Smith shouts at his team during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2nd half at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Tide defeats the Wildcats 72-61. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 17, 2007; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA: Kentucky Wildcats head coach Tubby Smith shouts at his team during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2nd half at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Tide defeats the Wildcats 72-61. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Wildcats guard (4) Rajon Rondo. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 John Rieger
Kentucky Wildcats guard (4) Rajon Rondo. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 John Rieger /

Kentucky basketball all-time Tubby Smith team: Point Guard

Rajon Rondo

Although his college stats don’t exactly leap off the page, it’s hard to argue that Rajon Rondo isn’t one of the best point guards Kentucky has seen in recent memory. We’re not even considering his long NBA career, because he was an invaluable starter for the Wildcats for two seasons, having been a Top 20 prospect from the class of 2004.

A full-time starter as a freshman, he led the SEC in steals and got the Wildcats back to the Elite Eight, scoring in double figures in their three Tourney wins.

In year two, Rondo averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, gaining a reputation as one of the best ball handlers in the game. After leading the SEC in assists per game, he’d depart for the NBA, where he spent parts of 16 seasons as a talented point guard.

Wayne Turner

Wayne Turner had quite the collegiate career even before Smith’s arrival, playing in three national title games at Kentucky in his first three seasons. He was mostly a reserve as a freshman on Pitino’s championship team but was a starter by his junior year for Smith’s first season. That trip to the national title included a 16-point, 8-assist performance in their Elite Eight win over Duke.

Turner’s stats were pretty impressive, leading the conference in steals as a sophomore and assists as a junior while shooting the ball from a decent clip. He wasn’t a long-range shooter, but Turner did average 10.5 points and 3.9 assists as a senior, playing a very important role in running Kentucky’s offense.

Turner didn’t have the same professional impact as Rondo, but he was still a piece of two national title teams and was a very important weapon for Smith early at Kentucky.

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