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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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UNC’s Sean May and Kentucky’s Randolph Morris fight for a rebound. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright 2004 Bob Donnan
UNC’s Sean May and Kentucky’s Randolph Morris fight for a rebound. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright 2004 Bob Donnan /

Kentucky basketball all-time Tubby Smith team: Center

Nazr Mohammed

A reserve as a freshman on Kentucky’s national title team in 1996, Nazr Mohammed would develop into a major weapon at the back end for the Wildcats. He would only play a single season under Smith’s leadership, but it would be quite the season as he established himself as a top-level center, and not just in the SEC.

That junior year saw Mohammed average 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-SEC honors. He developed into quite the frontcourt weapon and would average more than 13 points a game during the Wildcats’ run to another national championship.

He was sharing the spotlight and the starting role with Jamaal Magloire, though it’s Mohammed who had a long NBA career after departing Kentucky in 1998.

Randolph Morris

A Top 10 recruit from the class of 2004, Randolph Morris was a major factor in Smith’s final years at Kentucky, spending nearly the entire time as the starting center. He actually departed school after one season and was allowed to return after going undrafted, but he missed a large chunk of his sophomore season. Still, Morris put up some pretty impressive stats in those two and a half-seasons.

A decent weapon early in his career, he averaged 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game as a junior, emerging as the best player in Smith’s final season as head coach. Morris led the SEC in 2-point field goals and had impressive block numbers.

He had a 29-point, 15-rebound performance in his final SEC Tournament before watching his collegiate career end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with a brief NBA career following thereafter.

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