Louie Dampier, Pat Riley and Ralph Beard are all in the Hall of Fame.
Was John Wall the best guard to play at Kentucky
- Thread starter smooth as butter
- Start date
You must not be aware UK basketball started with Pitino and Mashburn.
He was 3rd in the nation in assists per game. He had two all-SEC first team guys, and an SEC all-freshmen player. What else do you want him to do so that he "makes the others around him better"?
I'm not sure UK has had a guard any more talented than the Blur
This is where fans lose ALL credibility. Saying Ulis was a liability on defense. He was defense player of the year in the SEC.
Coaches were quoted many times Saying he wrecked their whole offense.
No more posting for you.
He was the SEC defensive player of the year. Really? A liability on defense?
Turner was great. I'm not sure you can credit him for 1996, i dont think he saw the floor much. Maybe im wrong, but he definitely didnt take us in 1996.
He was there I go by banners when critiquing players and their impact on the team and without Wayne Turner he was very vital in 96 Wayne really came on toward the end of that 96 season
Well, this is a silly way-over simplistic way of thinking. Hell, by this logic, Robert Horry and Steve Kerr were two of the greatest players in NBA history …after all, they kept finding themselves on the rosters winning banners.
Turner was a mere bench player who got only 13 minutes per game on one title team, and he wasn’t even our best guard on the other. I loved the guy, but NO way is he in contention for “best guard ever” honors.
How about this: Turner didn't play in the championship, had 2 points in 6 minutes in the FF, 0 points in 8 minutes in sweet 16. He had 12 points, 4 assists over the entire tournament. He was not a factor in the 1996 run.
Had 238 steals #1 Kentucky #4 in assists and 1170 points played in 151 games 3 final 4s 3 championship games and 2 championships again best guard to ever play at Kentucky
Do you honestly think that UK would have not won the tournament in 98 if John Wall was the point guard instead of Wayne Turner? Do you really think that the National Player of the Year and his 17ppg and 6.5 apg(3rd nationally) would not be able to do what Wayne Turner did?
Bro is committed to Wayne Turner.
He (Turner) will always have a place in your heart if you watched him take a big ole greasy dump on Wojo during the Duke game.
He (Turner) will always have a place in your heart if you watched him take a big ole greasy dump on Wojo during the Duke game.
That’s a good question.
Turner was a game changer with his defense. He single handedly neutralized the other teams’ pg. Never out of gas. 3FF teams. Quiet leader. Love Wall - and maybe 98 wins it with him- but he sure would have changed the dynamics of that team - and as our pg on a more talented team no FF.
Not debating whether he had a great career. Just correcting you on your incorrect statement that Turner "was very vital in 96."
John wall had 4 #1 nba draft choices starting with him and how many banners did he get I am waiting
Respectfully, Richie ... IMHO, neither Tyler Ulis nor Wayne Turner deserves to be mentioned in response to this question. Each of them was a great player who was an invaluable part of a great team, but ...
Beard played in a different era, of course - but he was so much better than his contemporaries that he's got to be in this discussion. Tony Delk and Louie Dampier were pure shooters - not drivers or distributors. John Wall was the consummate slasher and distributor on the break, but not a shooter.
Alluding to I what I think you were saying, Wall was clearly the best athlete of the four.
And after I finished this post the first time ... I forgot about Fox and Monk, who IMHO are also in the mix for the different reasons.
A good question by Smooth.
Go 'Cats !
-John Wall was there only one year.
With your championship or bust logic, Scott Padgett is better than Jamal Mashburn.
No one mentioned Meeks because this is Kentucky, it's not Jodie Meeks. This is not a one man University and that's really a bad answer.
John Wall was a great player, but he was not a cut above other great guards at UK. He'd have a stronger case as being the most talented, but his performance in his single season at UK was not above and beyond other greats at the role.
Great Guards in the last 30 years:
95-96 Delk
96-97 Anderson*
02-03 Bogans
08-09 Meeks
09-10 Wall
15-16 Ulis
15-16 Murray
16-17 Monk
16-17 Fox
17-18 SGA
19-20 Quickley
23-24 Sheppard
23-24 Reeves
*Played half a season due to injury, but he was a POTY Candidate pre-injury.
Wall was a talent and integral to the program's revival. His commitment and subsequent season ushered in one of the most successful runs in program history. His on the court production, however, isn't like comparing AD to every other center in the last 30 years. Any of the players from could be argued using a variety of factors as being close to, on par, or better than Wall.
This doesn't diminish Wall and his talent at all. He played a single freshman season at UK. Many of those other players played multiple seasons at UK. We didn't get to see his bright talent shine in a second season.
Great Guards in the last 30 years:
95-96 Delk
96-97 Anderson*
02-03 Bogans
08-09 Meeks
09-10 Wall
15-16 Ulis
15-16 Murray
16-17 Monk
16-17 Fox
17-18 SGA
19-20 Quickley
23-24 Sheppard
23-24 Reeves
*Played half a season due to injury, but he was a POTY Candidate pre-injury.
Wall was a talent and integral to the program's revival. His commitment and subsequent season ushered in one of the most successful runs in program history. His on the court production, however, isn't like comparing AD to every other center in the last 30 years. Any of the players from could be argued using a variety of factors as being close to, on par, or better than Wall.
This doesn't diminish Wall and his talent at all. He played a single freshman season at UK. Many of those other players played multiple seasons at UK. We didn't get to see his bright talent shine in a second season.
There isn't much material difference between a 2 or 3, especially in the game today. Whether one is a guard or forward is often a product of the other players on the team. The 6'5'' player might be a 2 guard on a big team, but a 3 on a small team. It's practically up to the whim of whatever letter the coach wants to put next to the player's name.
Would one argue that Derek Anderson, a player who averaged over 5 assists per 40 and took almost 8 3's per 40 was less of a guard than someone like Cameron Mills? The ability discrepancy not withstanding, but Anderson had more overall "guard" coded skills. The only reason why Anderson is considered as a forward is due to an arbitrary height cut off.
I remember that game. Was at home, light dusting of snow outside. I was so happy with Cal and his diaper dandys. As much as I wanted Cal out the last 5-6 years, the start of his time here was amazing. So many personalities on that time to like.John Wall, he bad.
Pretty much decimated the old vs new players argument 👌👌 Take THAT olde thymer
Great point. You have zero answer for what I said, so you reply with a gif. It's like like Ron White's joke:
I got kicked off the debate team for saying, "Yeah, well **** you".
Your hatred for the previous coach has clouded your judgment and that hatred is connected to his players.
No your reply was well lame and your love for cal and the green room means more than players who hanged banners in rupp
Allen Edwards won even more than Turner. His teams won just as many titles and tourney games, and had an even better career winning percentage. So does that make Edwards UK’s greatest ever player?
Basing these sort of arguments purely on winning is a really flawed, simple-headed dumb way of thinking.
