Does This Team Have The Best Bench In UK History?

[TheExhaustedOne]

With Bradshaw returning it will likely move Thiero to the bench. Has UK ever had a better bench, or at the very least better 6/7/8 man than Dilly/Shep/Thiero? It would be hard to top. There might be one who have more total points but I’d bet this group blows away any bench when shooting percentages are taken into account.

I wasn’t even thinking of Burks initially but he’s another very good bench guy that could produce if given time. If Big Z gets cleared I think it would be the top choice. 1996 and 2015 would be the only two to rival this years bench IMO.

Rob Dillingham

SEASON	TEAM
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
7	1	23.0	5.7-10.9	52.6	2.3-4.3	53.3	1.7-2.3	75.0	0.3	4.1	4.4	5.7	0.0	1.6	2.3	1.3	15.4

Reed Sheppard

SEASON	TEAM
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
7	0	24.7	4.3-6.6	65.2	2.7-4.3	63.3	1.0-1.0	100.0	0.0	3.9	3.9	3.6	1.0	3.1	1.6	1.3	12.3

Adou Thiero

SEASON	TEAM
2022-23	UK
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
20	0	9.7	0.5-1.5	34.5	0.2-0.5	33.3	1.2-1.7	69.7	0.8	1.1	1.9	0.4	0.3	0.5	1.3	0.7	2.3
6	6	26.7	3.0-5.7	52.9	0.2-1.0	16.7	2.0-3.0	66.7	2.0	5.2	7.2	1.0	0.8	0.8	2.0	1.0	8.2
26	6	13.6	1.1-2.4	44.4	0.2-0.6	26.7	1.3-2.0	68.6	1.1	2.0	3.1	0.5	0.4	0.5	1.5	0.7	3.7

 

[University-6]

You had me at Reed Sheppard.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I mean 2015 had Ulis, Booker, DJ and either poy or Lyle's before poy got injured.

 

[RMorris33]

2015 bench was insane... Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Tyler Ulis, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins

 

[blubo]

1996

Pick your poison with this roster. first six are future nba with three more on the bench.

Player	Class	Pos	Height	Summary
Tony Delk	SR	G	6-1	17.8 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Antoine Walker	SO	F	6-8	15.2 Pts, 8.4 Reb, 2.9 Ast
Walter McCarty	SR	F	6-10	11.3 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 2.6 Ast
Derek Anderson	JR	F	6-5	9.4 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Ron Mercer	FR	F	6-7	8.0 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Mark Pope	SR	C	6-10	7.6 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Anthony Epps	JR	G	6-2	6.7 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 4.9 Ast
Jeff Sheppard	JR	G	6-3	5.5 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Wayne Turner	FR	G	6-2	4.5 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 1.6 Ast
Allen Edwards	SO	F	6-5	3.3 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 1.2 Ast
Nazr Mohammed	FR	C	6-10	2.3 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Oliver Simmons	FR	F	6-8	1.8 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Jared Prickett	SR	F	6-8	3.4 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 0.6 Ast
Cameron Mills	SO	G	6-3	0.9 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Jason Lathrem	FR	F	6-8	0.5 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.3 Ast

 

[ZenCatFan73]

1996 and it’s not close

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

1996.

Mercer, Turner, Sheppard, Pope, Edwards, Mohammed, Prickett, Mills, Simmons, (redshirted but practiced with the team), Padgett (didn't play, but practiced with the team).

Four of those guys made up 80% of the starting lineup of the '98 title team.

How does it get any better than that?

 

[HerrosHeroes]

This could be:

Wagner
Reeves
Thiero
Z
Ugonna
Burks

 

[storm1507]

No. 96. There are probably others, but let's wait til April to see.

 

[ruppcat]

With Bradshaw returning it will likely move Thiero to the bench. Has UK ever had a better bench, or at the very least better 6/7/8 man than Dilly/Shep/Thiero? It would be hard to top. There might be one who have more total points but I’d bet this group blows away any bench when shooting percentages are taken into account.

I wasn’t even thinking of Burks initially but he’s another very good bench guy that could produce if given time. If Big Z gets cleared I think it would be the top choice. 1996 and 2015 would be the only two to rival this years bench IMO.

Rob Dillingham

SEASON	TEAM
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
7	1	23.0	5.7-10.9	52.6	2.3-4.3	53.3	1.7-2.3	75.0	0.3	4.1	4.4	5.7	0.0	1.6	2.3	1.3	15.4

Reed Sheppard

SEASON	TEAM
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
7	0	24.7	4.3-6.6	65.2	2.7-4.3	63.3	1.0-1.0	100.0	0.0	3.9	3.9	3.6	1.0	3.1	1.6	1.3	12.3

Adou Thiero

SEASON	TEAM
2022-23	UK
2023-24	UK
Career

GP	GS	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3P%	FT	FT%	OR	DR	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
20	0	9.7	0.5-1.5	34.5	0.2-0.5	33.3	1.2-1.7	69.7	0.8	1.1	1.9	0.4	0.3	0.5	1.3	0.7	2.3
6	6	26.7	3.0-5.7	52.9	0.2-1.0	16.7	2.0-3.0	66.7	2.0	5.2	7.2	1.0	0.8	0.8	2.0	1.0	8.2
26	6	13.6	1.1-2.4	44.4	0.2-0.6	26.7	1.3-2.0	68.6	1.1	2.0	3.1	0.5	0.4	0.5	1.5	0.7	3.7

In my lifetime '96 and '12 had the deepest benches I've seen.

 

[kennyskywalker34]

In my lifetime '96 and '12 had the deepest benches I've seen.

12 didn't have a deep bench. Cal basically played 7 guys.

 

[IL Wildcat]

No. 96. There are probably others, but let's wait til April to see.

Yeah, we'll have to see how it ends before we can make a final decision. That '96 bench was great and so was the 2015 bench. But this team has a very strong bench, no doubt, better than we've had in a long time.

 

[CatChow]

You had me at Reed Sheppard.

No.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

In my lifetime '96 and '12 had the deepest benches I've seen.

2012 bench of Darius Miller....and wiltjer? Lol.

 

[storm1507]

Yeah, we'll have to see how it ends before we can make a final decision. That '96 bench was great and so was the 2015 bench. But this team has a very strong bench, no doubt, better than we've had in a long time.

Yes, IF we get 2 of the 7 footers back we'll have a possible bench of 2 of our 4 guards, Thiero or Edwards , Burks, and a 7 footer. That scenario and win #9 and it will be open for discussion.

 

[CB3UK]

The correct answer is 1996.

 

[blackcat714]

96 gets my vote

 

[DreadLox]

9 members of the 1996 team played professionally.
9 members of the 2012 team played professionally (Harrow was a red-shirt and played some overseas.)

It's too early to say so reliably, but 10 players of this team might play professionally. The starters, Dillingham, Sheppard, and the three 7 footers.

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

1996 and it’s not close

It really isn’t close, you’re right.

 

[Wildcats1st]

No 96 and 2015 benches were better.

 

[ruppcat]

2012 bench of Darius Miller....and wiltjer? Lol.

opps....meant 2015!

 

[clevenger32]

No.

 

[JPScott]

This year's team can be a very deep team if they get their big men back, if they stay healthy and if the coach continues to give bench players minutes. But that's a lot of IFs.

Here's what the current team's minutes breakdown looks like right now:

8 players over 20% of the time on the floor.

For reference here are some of the other teams mentioned:

1995-96 (10 players over 20% of the time)

2011-12 (7 Players over 20% of the time)

2014-15 (9 players over 20% of the time) [Would have been 10 if Poythress had stayed healthy]