September 4, 201313 yr Author So if you're starting a team and you have first pick you'd pick Delk over Walker? No, I'm taking Walker. I guess I judge it more on best career than best player. When I rank best players at Kentucky, I would rank Delk ahead of Walker because for 3 out of 4 years he was a major contributor, whereas Walker was a major contributor only 1 of 2 years (for the most part). Now, if you take them when they were at their best, Walker would be a pretty clear favorite IMO.
September 4, 201313 yr No, I'm taking Walker. I guess I judge it more on best career than best player. When I rank best players at Kentucky, I would rank Delk ahead of Walker because for 3 out of 4 years he was a major contributor, whereas Walker was a major contributor only 1 of 2 years (for the most part). Now, if you take them when they were at their best, Walker would be a pretty clear favorite IMO. Gotcha. I was going by player so my top 3 in order is: Mashburn Walker Delk
September 5, 201313 yr I didn't realize how good Billy Donovan was either. Donovan could shoot the lights out. I got to see him play in person in the NCAA tournament in Louisville when Pitino was coaching him at Providence.
September 5, 201313 yr Did Pitino coach Oliver Simmons at UK? Any chance ESPN comes out with a list of Pitino's top girlfriends? That's a list I'd like to see!!!:thumb:
September 5, 201313 yr Good thread. Pitino's coached many very good ones. Hard to argue much about anyone on his last two team's at UK. So loaded with talent, all very good players. IMO the 96 team is the best college team ever. UNLV had a great team in 90, and UCLA had some loaded teams as well, but I'll take UK in 96 and go win the Olympics. That said, I think any list has to begin with Mashburn. What a dominate player. Walker is close behind, but I'll take Mashburn. I think it's hard to leave every Louisville player off this year's team off the list. They won the NCAA title, somebody had to be pretty good. Smith or Silva seem like they should be on the list. One guy I'm not sure about is Donovan. I think he may have been more of a product of the "new" three point line and Pitino being ahead of the curve on how to use it. Could I be wrong, sure. But I think he is more a product of Pitino's system at the time than any player he's coached.
September 5, 201313 yr I wish I were able to understand the greatness at the time of that team. I was still a young lad.
September 6, 201313 yr Yeah. Definitely a solid player. Was on the 2005 Final Four team. He's currently playing in Italy. If not on my "best" player list, he's definitely right there with fellow 2005 teammate Larry O'Bannon on the "favorites" list. Big fan of Larry O'Bannon's game here.
September 6, 201313 yr The list really depends on how we define “best”. If it’s what they’ve done at the next level, guys like Mashburn, Delk and Walker get the nod. Pitino coached Magloire for a year as well, IIRC. If it’s what they achieved in college, Billy Donovan has to be up there (Providence isn’t really a traditional “Final Four” type school, and they got him started). McCarty and Anderson were guys who were solid collegiate and professional players. In various ways, I think many of these lists underrate Mercer. If it’s what Pitino molded them into given what the recruiting analysts thought they’d be, then Nazr Mohammed is up there, and I’d throw Anthony Epps & Scott Padgett into the conversation as well. It always seemed like Pitino wanted someone besides Epps as his lead guard, but Epps’ grit and determination really just forced the staff’s hand. During the 1997 Final commentary, I remember one of the color guys mentioning “the ghost of Anthony Epps” when talking about UK not getting a loose ball (that the analyst felt Epps would have gotten). If I had to make my own list of who his top 10 players were, based on a comprehensive analysis of each of the aforementioned factors, here’s what I’d go with: 1. Jamal Mashburn (undoubtedly #1) 2. Ron Mercer (actually a long pro career and probably the best player on ‘The Untouchables’ at the time) 3. Antoine Walker (hype at UK and professional success from the longevity standpoint put him here) 4. Taquan Dean (battled injuries, but Pitino said he was the “toughest” player he’d ever coached, and I’m inclined to believe him... A true leader who made Pitino’s first Final Four as the Card’s Coach). 5. Tony Delk (not many Cats have a 50 point game in the NBA on their resume... even fewer are MVP/MOP of the Final Four) 6. Scott Padgett (realistically, who thought he was a pro when scouting him at St. X?) 7. Billy Donovan (the catalyst and arguably the biggest name on the coaching tree) 8. Derek Anderson (oh what could have been...) 9. Roderick Rhodes (one of the biggest Pitino recruits) 10. Anthony Epps (was supposedly a better football recruit coming out of high school... heart and soul of the 1996 team... couldn’t keep him down, so I can’t exclude him). *Could be there one day: Chane Behanan
September 11, 201313 yr CDR should be on that list... Completely drawing a blank on who you're referring to.
September 11, 201313 yr CDR should be on that list... Completely drawing a blank on who you're referring to. Hopefully not Chris Douglas Roberts.
September 12, 201313 yr Hopefully not Chris Douglas Roberts. It was an inside joke for me and a buddy on here. We used to call one of Ricky P former player CDR...
September 13, 201313 yr It was an inside joke for me and a buddy on here. We used to call one of Ricky P former player CDR... That's great and all, but it still doesn't tell us who you're talking about. Inside jokes don't translate well on message boards.
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