Kentucky Basketball: Examining the all-time Tubby Smith team
By Joey Loose
Kentucky basketball all-time Tubby Smith team: Small Forward
Tayshaun Prince
He didn’t win a national title with the Wildcats, but you can argue that Tayshaun Prince was perhaps the most successful player that Smith had in his decade in Lexington. He put up some pretty gaudy stats at Kentucky before a long NBA career, where he would get himself a championship a few years later.
A fringe Top 10 prospect way back in 1998, Prince was a starter for nearly three and a half seasons and was one of the SEC’s best forwards in the process.
Prince had impressive block numbers, led the SEC in free throw shooting as a junior, and developed into a significant weapon on both sides of the ball. During that junior year, he won SEC Player of the Year by averaging 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds and was named Tournament MVP in the postseason.
His numbers as a senior were just as impressive, earning him a second straight nomination on First Team All-SEC. He’s the only player under Smith who earned that honor twice, and he was the most impactful player at Kentucky in the early 2000s.
Erik Daniels
There may have been other options at this position, but Erik Daniels was a valuable weapon for the Wildcats. A 6’8 forward from Cincinnati, he was a reserve behind Prince early in his career before developing into a starting role for his final two seasons after Prince’s departure in 2002.
After upgrading to nearly 10 points per game as a junior, Daniels finished his collegiate career on a strong note. He’d lead the SEC in field goals a senior, averaging 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game to earn Second Team All-SEC honors as well. He was among the conference’s top scorers that season and had a double-double in his final collegiate game, an upset loss to UAB in the NCAA Tournament.