Kentucky Basketball: Examining the all-time Tubby Smith team

Kentucky basketball all-time Tubby Smith team: Shooting Guard

Keith Bogans

During his four seasons at Kentucky, Keith Bogans played a bit all over the court, including some run at point guard, but we’ve penciled him in as Kentucky’s top shooting guard and he certainly fits the bill. A blue-chip prospect in 1999, Bogans became one of the best scorers that Smith coached at Kentucky.

By his sophomore season, Bogans was averaging 17.0 points per game and was an All-SEC player, leading the conference in field goals that season as well. He was a major scorer for the Wildcats, with everything coming together during his senior season.

That year saw him win SEC Player of the Year and SEC Tournament MVP, averaging 15.7 points and 2.7 assists per game and getting the Wildcats to another Elite Eight appearance in 2003. He was very impactful for Kentucky and played for over a decade in the NBA.

Jeff Sheppard

An argument could be made that other backcourt pieces deserve this honor more based on their total stats, but Jeff Sheppard’s impact can’t be ignored. He arrived in Lexington several years before Smith and only played for him as a senior, but the former high school standout from Georgia had himself quite the senior year.

He’d average 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game in that senior season, a glorious return after redshirting the previous season. He was named Third Team All-SEC and played a solid role for the Wildcats, but it’s his postseason success that stands out.

Sheppard was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, guiding Kentucky to that national title with several clutch performances, including a 27-point effort over Stanford in the Final Four.