SEC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

13. Julius Randle

The brightest piece of an all-time recruiting class, Randle was one of the top-ranked recruits in the Class of 2013 and chose Kentucky, joining John Calipari’s program that was jam-packed with talent. A 6’9 center from Dallas, Randle would inevitably live up to his top billing, playing a major role in Kentucky’s frontcourt during a season that wouldn’t end until early April.

In his lone collegiate season, he’d average 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, becoming the top scorer and rebounder for the Wildcats. He began his career with seven straight double-doubles and had a career-high 29 points against Belmont, but it was the late-season play that mattered the most. Though Kentucky earned an 8-seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Randle would play a major role in the Wildcats advancing all the way to the national title game, scoring at least 15 points in all but two of those games.

Randle was named SEC Rookie of the Year and earned First Team All-SEC honors as well. He was nominated for several national awards and clearly was a major presence for a Kentucky team that truly clicked at the right time. He was one of the nation’s most productive rebounders, scored nearly 600 points on the season, and proved his talent as a top-level frontcourt weapon. The Los Angeles Lakers then spent the 7th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft to secure his services.