1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky (2011-12)
At his peak: 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 blocks, 62.3 FG percentage
Yes, Davis played only one year for Calipari at Kentucky. But this 6-10 forward packed more into that one season than all but the most elite players have accomplished in a full four-year career. Davis was the national player and freshman of the year for Sporting News and most other national outlets. He was a consensus first-team All American. He set NCAA Tournament records during Kentucky’s run to the national championship. And, oh yeah, he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Then he went No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. So, yes, he takes the No. 1 spot, too.
2. Marcus Camby, Massachusetts (1993-96)
At his peak: 20.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 blocks as a junior
Camby was a defensive monster in the paint his freshman year at UMass (sound familiar, Kentucky fans?), averaging 3.6 blocks per game. By the time he left for the NBA after his junior season, he’d upped his scoring average from 10.2 to 20.5 points per contest. That junior season, Camby’s Minutemen stayed undefeated into late February, then rolled into the Final Four before losing to a Kentucky team that won the national title two days later. Camby was the national player of the year and a first-team All-American.
3. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis (2005-08)
At his peak: 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 54.1 FG percentage
He wasn’t the best professional on the Memphis team that came agonizingly close to winning a national championship, but CDR was named consensus first-team All-America after that season, not teammate (and future No. 1 pick Derrick Rose). Douglas-Roberts was Memphis’ leading scorer his final two years, and those Calipari teams compiled a stellar 104-10 record on the court in CDR’s three years on the team.
4. Derrick Rose, Memphis (2007-08)
At his peak: 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds
During his one year at Memphis, Rose’s immense talent was obvious, but he was a work in progress for most of the season. By the time the NCAA Tournament rolled around, it was obvious he would be the No. 1 pick in the next NBA Draft; in those six games, Rose averaged 20.8 points and 6.0 assists as Memphis reached the title game.
5. John Wall, Kentucky (2009-10)
At his peak: 16.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals
Wall nailed a step-back game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds left in his Kentucky debut, setting the tone for what was an outstanding season for he and his Wildcats. Kentucky finished 35-3, but landed one game short of a Final Four appearance. Despite an NCAA-high 149 turnovers, Wall was a consensus first-team All-American.
6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky (2011-12)
At his peak: 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 49.1 FG percentage
If you’re just going by the numbers, MKG doesn’t make this top-10 list. But numbers have never dictated other people’s opinions of this defensive wizard. His shutdown ability was a huge factor in Kentucky’s run to the national championship, and it was the primary reason he was consensus second-team All-America. The lack of eye-popping stats didn’t keep him from going No. 2 overall (behind teammate Anthony Davis) in the NBA Draft.
7. DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky (2009-10)
At his peak: 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 55.8 FG percentage
Cousins probably should be a few spots higher solely because of his nickname “Boogie,” but that wasn’t one of the elements we considered. Unfortunately. With his mean streak, Cousins was a fierce presence inside for the Wildcats, the power in the paint to contrast with John Wall’s speed on the perimeter. Cousins was a consensus second-team All-American.
8. Jim McCoy, Massachusetts (1988-92)
Career numbers: 18.8 points, all-time UMass leading scorer (2,374 points)
McCoy led UMass in scoring all four of his seasons (including a high of 20.6 as a sophomore), and his senior year, he was part of Calipari’s first exceptional team. That 1991-92 squad went 30-5 and advanced to the Sweet 16 with a team that exceeded pretty much every preseason expectation.
9. Lou Roe, Massachusetts (1991-95)
Junior & senior seasons combined: 17.5 points, 8.2 rebounds
Roe was named the first consensus All-American in UMass history for his senior campaign, and he finished on the Atlantic 10 first team in three of his four years at the school. Roe still is first on the Minutemen’s all-time rebounding list, and shot 52.9 percent from the field during his career.
10. Antonio Anderson, Memphis (2005-09)
At his peak: 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists
Anderson’s inclusion here is a nod to the hard-nosed players who haven’t gotten the same notoriety as NBA lottery picks who are readily associated with Calipari teams. Anderson was a 6-6 guard who always drew the defensive assignment on the other team’s most dangerous scorer, but was still a perimeter threat (137 3-pointers in his career). Anderson started 133 of his career 150 games, and Memphis was 13-4 in the NCAA Tournament during his four seasons.
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