Kentucky Basketball: Ranking the Best Point Guards in Wildcats History

When you have the type of history Kentucky does, narrowing down the best at any position is never easy. However, when it comes to listing the top point guards at the school, there are a few that stand above the rest.

From the days of Adolph Rupp to the current generation under head coach John Calipari, there have been more than a few players who have distinguished themselves. Some posted excellent statistics while others made more of an intangible difference for winning teams.

The most important characteristic when comparing the players, though, is the impact they made at Kentucky. This means although some stars went on to great careers in the NBA and other competitions, that does not count toward these rankings.

Another important factor is limiting the list to true point guards, so shooting guards like Tony Delk or Pat Riley, both with excellent careers, aren't considered.

There is certain to be plenty of debate over the final list, but here is a look at the top point guards in Kentucky history.

Note: Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and the Kentucky media guide.

Honorable Mentions

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Wayne Turner (1995-99)

Although he was never a go-to scorer, Wayne Turner made a major impact throughout his career at Kentucky. The guard was part of two national championship teams—in 1996 and 1998—and made an especially big impact on the latter squad under coach Tubby Smith.

Meanwhile, Turner played an incredible 151 career games for the Wildcats, helping him rank fourth in school history with 494 assists to go with his 1,170 points. His 238 steals are also the most all time.

The unselfish player was a big help on both ends of the court and a major reason Kentucky saw so much success in the late '90s.

Anthony Epps (1993-97)

Turner was a part of two titles, but Anthony Epps was the real leader at point guard for the 1996 champions. While he only averaged 6.7 points per game, he contributed 4.9 assists per game that season to help the team average an incredible 91.4 points per contest.

Epps was a consistent passer throughout his career, finishing second all time at Kentucky with 544 assists.

Tony Delk and Antoine Walker earn most of the credit for taking the modern Wildcats to the next level with a national title, but Epps deserves his respect as well.

Travis Ford (1991-94)

As one of the best shooters in school history, Travis Ford was a more versatile offensive threat than some of the others on this list.

Ford ranked second on the team with 13.6 points per game in addition to his 4.9 assists per game during his junior year before becoming more of a passing guard as a senior. His scoring average dropped to 11.3, but he improved his assists per game to 5.9.

Additionally, his 52.9 percent three-point shooting in 1992-93 stands as the best single-season mark in school history. Adding a 1993 Final Four to his statistics, he is clearly one of the top point guards ever to play in Lexington, Kentucky.

John Wall (2009-10)

It's not easy to compare one-and-done players to those who spent more years in school. Brandon Knight had great numbers, while Marquis Teague was key to a national title run. However, the best of this group is clearly John Wall.

Wall was part of John Calipari's first class at Kentucky and instantly brought credibility back to the program. Even though the loaded team got knocked out in the Elite Eight, it still remains an important turning point for the Wildcats.

On an individual level, Wall was named SEC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American after averaging 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game. Still, even though he might be the most talented point guard in school history, he still is just out of the top five for the best at the position.

5. Dirk Minniefield (1979-83)

When you are No. 1 in any major category at Kentucky, it's clear you have accomplished a lot in your career.

That is the case with Dirk Minniefield, whose 646 assists are the most in school history. Not only did he average 5.3 assists per game during the course of his career, he was the model of consistency, owning three of the top 10 single-season assist rates at Kentucky.

Unfortunately, his time with the Wildcats included some disappointing exits in the NCAA tournament. The squad suffered early upsets as a No. 1 and No. 2 seed and then finally reached the regional finals before losing to top-seeded Louisville.

Still, Minniefield was an ideal pure point guard and a four-year starter for a team that went 96-28 in his time at Lexington. Although his career wasn't always exciting, his steadiness makes him one of the top Wildcats players at his position.

4. Tyler Ulis (2014-16)

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Recency bias aside, Tyler Ulis truly was one of the best pure point guards in school history and one of the best in college basketball in years.

Ulis set a new Kentucky record with 246 assists this season while remaining one of the most efficient passers in the sport. He posted a 3.57 assist-to-turnover ratio a year after finishing with a 3.55 mark in the same category.

Of course, the 5'9" guard showed this year he could be more than just a passer. Ulis averaged 17.3 points per game to help him become SEC Player of the Year as well as a first-team All-American. His SEC Defensive Player of the Year award did even more to showcase his versatility.

Adding all these individual honors to the fact he played a big role on a team that went 38-0 before losing in the Final Four, Ulis has had quite a memorable career in just two years with the program.

We don't know what type of NBA career Ulis will have and he failed to win a championship in his time in Lexington, but he is still the best point guard Kentucky has had in the John Calipari era.

3. Sean Woods (1989-92)

Sean Woods came at an important crossroads in Kentucky history. The guard was part of "The Unforgettables" along with Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus and John Pelphrey, four seniors who stayed with the program despite facing postseason bans.

In their senior years, with the addition of Jamal Mashburn, the squad was able to return to the NCAA tournament and went all the way to the Elite Eight. Woods then hit a go-ahead shot in overtime that would've been a historic moment for the program until Christian Laettner hit quite a famous shot to send Duke to the Final Four.

Still, this run and loyalty for the program led all four seniors to have their jerseys retired at Rupp Arena.

Woods only averaged 8.7 points per game in his career but led the team in assists for all three years he played. He finished with an average of 5.3 assists per game, which still stands as the most in school history with a minimum of 60 games.

This production on an individual level and team level makes him one of the best Wildcats ever.

2. Kyle Macy (1977-80)

Associated Press

If you combine all the positive qualities of the players already listed, you get Kyle Macy.

Macy was a quality scorer during his career, averaging 14.4 points per game while totaling 1,411 in three seasons. He also proved himself as a passer with 470 assists to rank sixth all time at Kentucky.

During his senior year, the guard was named SEC Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American after averaging 15.4 points and 4.7 assists per game. He also added 1.7 steals per game after averaging 2.2 as a junior.

Kentucky also saw plenty of team success while Macy was there, including the 1978 national championship in a year where the point guard averaged a career-high 5.6 assists per game. The Wildcats finished that season with a 30-2 record.

Few other players in Kentucky history can match Macy in both balanced stats and winning, which keeps him near the top of this list.

1. Ralph Beard (1945-49)

Uncredited/Associated Press

Other players might have had better overall numbers, but Ralph Beard had the biggest impact of any point guard in school history.

Beard was part of the Fabulous Five, which helped the Wildcats win the school's first two national championships in 1948 and 1949. The group also went on to win a gold medal at the 1948 Olympics.

On an individual level, Beard was an elite scorer and quality all-around performer. The three-time consensus All-American ended his career with 1,517 points, which still ranks 15th all time in school history.

Pat Forde, then with ESPN, quoted the Sporting News in describing the talented guard.

"He has a sharp eye for the basket, but his greatest assets are his tremendous speed and limitless stamina," Forde wrote. "He simply runs his opponents to exhaustion. Defensively, he has no equal. He hawks his man into helplessness and surrender."

Unfortunately, his lasting legacy might be the fact he was involved in a point-shaving scandal, keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.

Despite his negatives, he is still one of the all-time greats at Kentucky and the best point guard the program ever had.

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