5 Kentucky Wildcats listed in ESPN’s top 25 under 25 rankings

The Kentucky Wildcats have produced talent at the highest level in basketball. While players like Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Towns have made their impact on the league, the next wave of former Wildcats are set to take over the NBA.

We recently saw one Wildcat tear it up in the national spotlight with Tyrese Maxey dropping 38 in Game 1 of the Sixers-Raptors series. Maxey was among the 5 Wildcats that were listed in ESPN’s top 25 under 25 rankings.

Insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, and Mike Schmitz were the ones that compiled the list. It can be viewed here. That said, let’s dive into where the 5 Cats were ranked.

Tyrese Maxey came in at No. 24.

Maxey went from averaging 8 points per game as a rookie to scoring 17.5 per game his second season. He’s elevated his game even further in the postseason. The 2020 first-roun pick is just 21 years old and is set to be a large part of the future of the Sixers franchise.

Next up is De’Aaron Fox at No. 22.

Fox has spent his first five seasons in the league with the Kings. Last season, Fox averaged over 25 points per game and notched 23.2 per game this past season. Fox’s Kings haven’t had much success, but he’s been a star for the past four seasons.

He entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Then it is Tyler Herro coming in at No. 20.

Herro, one of the candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, blossomed into a full-blown star this season. His Heat are the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, and Herro, in his third season, is averaging 20.7 points per game on 45% shooting.

Inching further down we have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 10.

SGA, like Fox, hasn’t had much team success, but he’s clearly one of the top rising stars in the NBA. Having spent his career in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander put up 24.5 points, 5 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season.

If the Thunder can figure out how to surround him with talent, they have a chance to put together something special.

Finally, Bam Adebayo comes in at No. 8.

Adebayo is among the best two-way players in the NBA. Every team wants a center like Bam. He averaged 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season. It was his second season with a double-double average.

Adebayo is 24 and has the potential to become the best center in the NBA.