Talk of the town: Former Kentucky Wildcats dominate ESPN’s top NBA players ranking

The Kentucky Wildcats have been among the most successful programs in college hoops at producing stardom at the highest level in basketball.

Numerous former Wildcats will lead their respective NBA team this upcoming season. From players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Devin Booker, several of those top Cats have NBA Championship expectations on their shoulders.

That said, ESPN recently ranked the top 100 players entering the 2024-2025 NBA season, and Kentucky has 12 players ranked. Gilgeous-Alexander came in as the highest-ranked former Cats standout.

Below is a list of the top Wildcats.

No. 4 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
No. 13 Anthony Davis
No. 15 Devin Booker
No. 18 Bam Adebayo
No. 19 Tyrese Maxey
No. 26 De’Aaron Fox
No. 30 Karl-Anthony Towns
No. 31 Jamal Murray
No. 48 Julius Randle
No. 64 Immanuel Quickly
No. 65 Malik Monk
No. 76 Tyler Herro

The Cats also have two lottery picks coming into the league who could eventually crack the listing. Reed Sheppard, the first collegiate player taken, was selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, and Rob Dillingham was selected No. 8 overall.

In terms of surprises from previous seasons, Fox and KAT fell down some, while Maxey continues to bolster his spot as one of the best guards in the NBA. Tyler Herro also slid quite a bit and should be primed for a bounce-back season with the Miami Heat.