Who's No. 1? Here are Kentucky basketball's best signees in modern NCAA recruiting era
Five-star signees and Kentucky basketball go hand in hand.
Since assuming the reins at UK prior to the 2009-10 season, coach John Calipari has ensured the Wildcats are near the pinnacle — and more often than not, at the top — of recruiting rankings year in and year out.
UK has boasted the country's No. 1 class in the 247Sports rankings on eight occasions in the Calipari era: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2023.
Many of those highly regarded signees have lived up to expectations, too; the NBA Draft serves as Exhibit A. Kentucky has had a one-and-done freshman selected in the first round of the last 14 NBA drafts. During Calipari's tenure, 35 Wildcats have been first-round picks, with 23 players going in the lottery.
But among the dazzling array of stars UK has signed over the years, who had the best ranking coming out of high school?
Using 247Sports' all-time recruiting rankings, which date back to 2000, here are Kentucky's top-20 signees since the turn of the century:
(Note: Positions listed are the spots 247Sports evaluated them as high school prospects, not necessarily where they played at Kentucky.)
1. Nerlens Noel
Position: Power forward
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247Sports Composite rating: 0.9999
Signing class: 2012
What to know: During his lone season at UK in 2012-13, Noel earned first-team All-SEC honors and won the league's defensive player of the year and freshman of the year awards, after averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game. He set a single-game school record for blocked shots, rejecting 12 in a win over Ole Miss. Noel's college career ended prematurely, as he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a game against Florida. The New Orleans Pelicans took him with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was an NBA All-Rookie first-team selection for the 2014-15 season. Noel, who signed with the Sacramento Kings last month, has averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 467 NBA appearances.
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2. Anthony Davis
Position: Small forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9999
Signing class: 2011
What to know: Noel won the tiebreaker in these rankings because even though he and Davis share the same composite rating, Noel had a higher overall ranking from 247Sports (101 to Davis' 100). Davis has undoubtedly had the better career, however. After leading the Wildcats to the 2011-12 NCAA title — their eighth overall and first since 1998 — he went No. 1 overall in that year's NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans (still called the Hornets at that time). Following a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019, he captured the first NBA championship of his career when the league went into a bubble in Orlando, Florida, to complete the 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Davis has eight NBA All-Star selections and has been named All-NBA first team and NBA All-Defensive team four times apiece. He was part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team announced last year. He's averaged 24.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks during his 11-season NBA career.
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3. Skal Labissiere
Position: Power forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9998
Signing class: 2015
What to know: Labissiere played in all 36 games (18 starts) for UK in 2015-16, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while connecting on 51.6% of his field goal attempts. He had a team-high six blocks in an NCAA Tournament win over Stony Brook in a record-setting performance: UK set a single-game tournament mark with 15 blocked shots. Labissiere was the 28th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He played in the NBA four seasons. Labissiere most recently played for Grises de Humacao of Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the top league of pro basketball in Puerto Rico.
4. Julius Randle
Position: Power forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9994
Signing class: 2013
What to know: Randle racked up numerous individual accolades en route to leading Kentucky to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14. He led the Wildcats in both points (15.0) and rebounds (10.4) per game and set single-season freshman marks for rebounds (417), double-doubles (24) and free throws made (204). He was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Lakers. Though it took time to find his footing in the pros, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after the 2020-21 regular season and has a pair of All-NBA honors (second team in 2021, third team in 2023). Randle has averaged 18.7 points and 9.4 rebounds in his nine seasons in the NBA.
5. John Wall
Position: Point guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9992
Signing class: 2009
What to know: Wall was a consensus first-team All-America honoree and the SEC Player of the Year in 2009-10, setting a then-single-game program record for assists (16, versus Hartford) and leading Kentucky to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The Washington Wizards selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Wall, a five-time NBA All-Star, has played in 647 games over 11 seasons. He missed the entire 2019-20 season because of an Achilles injury and sat out the 2021-22 season. He's averaged 18.7 points and 8.9 assists for his pro career; his assist average ranks seventh in league history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. Wall is a free agent.
6. Shaedon Sharpe
Position: Shooting guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9992
Signing class: 2021
What to know: For UK fans, Sharpe is the most controversial player on this list — by far. He enrolled during the spring semester of 2022 ... and then never played a game for the Wildcats before declaring for the NBA Draft. The Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a rookie last season.
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7. Justin Edwards
Position: Small forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9992
Signing class: 2023
What to know: Edwards will embark on his first college season in 2023-24 and is expected to be the next one-and-done pick for the Wildcats. Early returns are positive: He averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and almost two steals a game in Kentucky's undefeated (4-0) showing at the GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto earlier this month.
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8. DeMarcus Cousins
Position: Power forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9989
Signing class: 2009
What to know: Along with Wall, Cousins formed a lethal 1-2 freshman punch in Calipari's debut season as coach. Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds that season as he earned All-America first-team laurels from the Associated Press and All-SEC first-team honors from the league's coaches and media members. He was the fifth player taken in the 2010 NBA Draft, picked by the Sacramento Kings. He's a four-time NBA All-Star and won gold medals with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Cousins has averaged a double-double (19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds) in 11 seasons in the NBA. He now plays for Mets de Guaynabo of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
9. Aaron Bradshaw
Position: Center
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9988
Signing class: 2023
What to know: Bradshaw, a freshman, possesses tantalizing potential — deft shooting from a distance while standing 7 feet tall. But for now, all he has is potential. He's sidelined for the start of the 2022-23 season with a fractured foot. It's unknown when he'll take the floor for the first time as a Wildcat.
10. Brandon Boston Jr.
Position: Shooting guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9984
Signing class: 2020
What to know: In one season at UK, Boston played in all 25 contests (24 starts) and scored 11.5 points per game, tying for the team high in 2020-21. He led the Wildcats in steals (33). Boston went in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 51st overall pick. Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers the past two seasons, Boston has averaged 6.7 points a game in 73 appearances.
11. D.J. Wagner
Position: Combo guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9983
Signing class: 2023
What to know: Wagner − the son of Dajuan Wagner, one of Calipari's former players at Memphis − was a scoring machine at Camden High in Camden, New Jersey, ending his prep career with more than 2,000 points. A freshman guard, Wagner averaged 14 points a game on 24-of-57 shooting (42.1%) during Kentucky's gold-medal winning run at GLOBL JAM earlier this month. He also dished out 19 assists during the tournament, second most on the team behind another freshman guard: Reed Sheppard.
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12. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Position: Small forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9982
Signing class: 2011
What to know: Though overshadowed by fellow 2011 signee Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist was a stellar player in his own right during UK's last national-championship winning season. He picked up All-America accolades from Sporting News, the USBWA and the NABC and was the East Regional Most Outstanding Player. He averaged 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds that season, with a memorable performance (24 points, 19 rebounds — both numbers single-game personal bests) in the team's victory over rival Louisville. Gilchrist went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, selected by the Charlotte Bobcats. Though he earned a spot on the All-Rookie second team, injuries derailed his NBA career. He has not played in an NBA game since appearing in 13 contests for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2019-20 season. Kidd-Gilchrist, who turns 30 later this year, has never officially announced his retirement from the game, however.
13. Karl-Anthony Towns
Position: Center
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9981
Signing class: 2014
What to know: A consensus All-American during Kentucky's 38-1 campaign in 2014-15, freshman phenom Towns averaged 10.3 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game and led the team in blocked shots (88) and double-doubles (eight). He was the first player to hear his name called in the 2015 NBA Draft, heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the top overall pick. He's earned numerous accolades during his NBA career — three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA third team, Rookie of the Year, 3-point Contest champion — while averaging 23.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in eight seasons. One hole in an otherwise sparkling resume: He's yet to make a deep postseason run in Minnesota. The Timberwolves have made three playoff appearances with Towns; they haven't advanced out of the first round.
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14. Andrew Harrison
Position: Point guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9981
Signing class: 2013
What to know: Harrison, who started 78 of 79 games in two seasons, collected 298 assists in that span, with the Wildcats advancing to the Final Four both years. He went to the Phoenix Suns in the second round (44th overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft. After appearing in 128 games, with 64 starts for the Grizzlies over the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, Harrison played in just 17 contests — spread across three teams (Memphis, Cleveland and New Orleans) — in 2018-19. He hasn't played in the NBA since; his career isn't over, though. Harrison has played in Russia, China and the NBA G League. He most recently played for Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket, which competes in the Basketball Super League, the top level of the sport in Turkey.
15. De'Aaron Fox
Position: Point guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9973
Signing class: 2016
What to know: Fox had a year to remember in 2016-17, recording only the second triple-double in program history (versus Arizona State) and setting an NCAA Tournament record: most points by a freshman in a single game (39 against UCLA in the Sweet 16). He was a third-team All-America selection by USA Today, CBS Sports and ESPN and earned first-team All-SEC honors (from the AP and the league's coaches) after averaging 16.7 points per game and leading the league in assists average (4.6 per game). The Sacramento Kings chose Fox with the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Last season, he was an NBA All-Star, notched an All-NBA third-team honor and was the first-ever winner of the Clutch Player of the Year award. In addition, he helped the Kings snap their NBA-record playoff drought — Sacramento missed the postseason 16 straight years from 2007 through 2022 — last season, pushing the Golden State Warriors to the brink in the first round before losing Game 7. Fox has averaged 20.2 points, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game in six NBA seasons.
16. Brandon Knight
Position: Point guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9973
Signing class: 2010
What to know: Knight, yet another one-and-done product, was UK's leading scorer (17.3 points per game) and distributor (4.2 assists per game) in 2010-11, when the team reached the Final Four for the first time under Calipari. Named the Most Outstanding Player in Kentucky's regional, Knight was a first-team All-SEC pick by the league's coaches and landed on the All-SEC second team selected by the AP. The Detroit Pistons selected the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Knight with the No. 8 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. In his debut season, he snagged a spot on the NBA All-Rookie first team — the first Piston to accomplish that feat since Hall of Famer Grant Hill in 1994-95. Knight went on to average 17-plus points per game each of the next three seasons, topped by a career-best 19.6 with the Suns in 2015-16. Though he's seen scant time since then, Knight has averaged 14 points per game in his nine NBA seasons. He now plays for Piratas de Quebradillas in Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
17. Aaron Harrison
Position: Shooting guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9971
Signing class: 2013
What to know: Twin brother of Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison will be forever remembered in Kentucky lore for his performance in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, when he sank clutch shots in three straight wins (Louisville in the Sweet 16, Michigan in the Elite Eight and Wisconsin in the national semifinal) to lift the Wildcats to the NCAA title game. In his final season with the Wildcats, Harrison was an All-SEC second-team pick by the AP and the league's coaches after topping the team in scoring at 11 points per game, with eight outings of 15 or more. He declared for the 2015 NBA Draft but was not selected. Harrison appeared in 21 games off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets in 2015-16, but just 14 more after that. His last NBA season was 2017-18, when he played in nine games (three starts) for the Dallas Mavericks. He's continued his career overseas, playing in Turkey (for two different teams), Greece, Slovenia and Taiwan.
18. Terrence Clarke
Position: Shooting guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9971
Signing class: 2020
What to know: Clarke played just one season at UK (2020-21), which was hampered by a leg injury that prevented him from appearing in a single SEC regular-season game. Before the injury, however, he showed off an explosive skillset, averaging 9.6 points and 2.0 steals per game in six starts. He declared for the 2021 NBA Draft. While training for the draft, alongside friend and former UK teammate Brandon Boston Jr., Clarke died after a car wreck in the Los Angeles area. He was 19 years old. The NBA honored Clarke with an honorary pick in the draft two months after his death.
19. Marquis Teague
Position: Point guard
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9967
Signing class: 2011
What to know: Part of UK's title-winning team in 2011-12, Teague averaged 10 points and a team-best 4.8 assists an outing while starting all 40 games of his only college season. He was the 29th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Teague played in the NBA, on and off, for three seasons; his last appearance was three games with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2017-18 campaign. He's bounced around various leagues across the globe in the past decade, playing in Israel, Russia, Korea, England, Greece and multiple stints in the NBA G League.
20. EJ Montgomery
Position: Power forward
247Sports Composite rating: 0.9967
Signing class: 2018
What to know: Despite his five-star status, the 6-foot-10, 228-pound Montgomery was more role player than dominant force in his two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) as a Wildcat. He averaged 3.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman before upping those numbers to 6.1 and 5.4, respectively, as a sophomore. Perhaps his most memorable moment at UK came during his final season, when he had a game-winning tip-in with 11 seconds left in a 71-70 victory over Florida — a contest in which UK overcame an 18-point deficit. He declared for the 2020 NBA Draft but was not selected. Montgomery has played overseas (Lithuania, Hungary and Japan) but has never appeared in an NBA regular-season game.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball recruiting: A look at the best signees
