The 97-98 season was terrific for Padgett: averaging 11 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. In 2020, Wayne Turner was deservedly inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.Īnother 2-year player for Tubby Smith, Padgett helped lead Tubby’s team to the 1998 National Championship, most notably the dagger 3-pooint shot he drilled against Duke from the top of the key (along with 6 rebs). In 3 of his 4 seasons at UK, his season totals in assists rank top 50 in program history. He is ranked 7th all-time in UK history for NCAA Tournament scoring. Turner finished as the all-time steals leader in program history, still to this day holding the record. He scored over 1,000 career points, ranking 42nd in program history. In those same 2 seasons, he has 2 of the top 30 single-season steals totals as well.Īt the conclusion of his career, he was the all-time leader in program history for games played with 151 total games. In his 2 seasons with Tubby, Turner has 2 of the top 30 best single-season assists totals. He earned All-SEC honors, along with SEC All-Tournament Team honors. In his senior season, he averaged 10.5 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Each game on the way to the title, Turner could be counted on for at least 8 points, 2 steals, 4 assists, 4 rebounds.
Check out this stat line from the comeback thriller against Duke in 1998 NCAAT: 16 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. On his way to the national title, he earned the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player award. He led the SEC in assists during this season and won the SEC Tournament MVP award. Leading UK to the 1998 National Championship, Turner averaged just under 10 points, along with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Yes, recruited and brought to UK by Rick Pitino, but was a 2-year starter for Tubby Smith and the starting PG on Tubby’s national title team. And secondly, I am only taking into consideration their accomplishments at Kentucky, there will NOT be consideration put into NBA careers, only what was accomplished while playing for Tubby. And for the record, it does NOT matter whether players were recruited by Tubby or Pitino, just that they played in the Tubby era.
Any time we talk about top players or best players, it gets personal, and it can get heated!Īs objectively as possible, here are the top five players of the Tubby Smith era:įull disclosure: It was VERY challenging to make a list of five - which is why I chose to list a couple of honorable-mention selections. If you ask me, that's a pretty solid group of guys that are definitely tournament-worthy without even considering the incoming players from our recruiting class and the transfer portal.In this edition of “Talkin’ Tubby”, we look at the top five players of the Tubby era. On top of that, they are very talented players in the consensus National Player of the Year (Oscar Tshiebwe), a Bob Cousy finalist (Sahvir Wheeler) and four exceptionally talented players in Jacob Toppin, Daimion Collins, Lance Ware and sharp-shooter CJ Fredrick.
Oddly enough, this will be one of the more veteran-led teams Kentucky will have had in John Calipari's tenure, returning not only upperclassmen, but returning players who contributed a lot of minutes and stats on the floor all last season. Roster turnover at Kentucky isn't anything that we aren't used to. Zan Payne - Transferring, unannounced to where, very high chance it's Louisville.
Kareem Watkins - Returning as a walk-on for junior seasonīrennan Canada - Returning as a walk-on for senior season Shaedon Sharpe? - Entered name into NBA Draft, has until June 1st to announce decision Declared for the NBA Draft, won't return to UKĬJ Fredrick - Returning (from injury) for senior season Sahvir Wheeler - Returning for senior season Jacob Toppin - Entered name into NBA Draft, will return for senior seasonīryce Hopkins - Transferred to Providence Oscar Tshiebwe - Returning for senior season Entered name into NBA Draft, will return to college and transferĭaimion Collins - Returning for sophomore season
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