by William Menna

Created on: July 29, 2010

The University of Kentucky Wildcats are a legendary NCAA basketball program. They are all but a permanent fixture in the NCAA Tournament with seven National Championships and dozens of graduates who have reached the pros. Among the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky are three Hall of Famers and a current star for the Boston Celtics.

Dan Issel:

Hall of Fame forward Dan Issel is one of the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky. Issel was one of the elites to star in both the ABA and the NBA, scoring a combined 27,482 points between the two leagues. In nine NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets, he averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game. Issel won an ABA Championship with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975 and he was the league's scoring leader during his rookie season in 1970-71.

Frank Ramsey:

Boston Celtics Hall of Fame guard Frank Ramsay ranks among the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky. Ramsay teamed up with Bill Russell to win seven NBA Championships from 1957 to 1964. In the Celtics' 1959 title run he averaged 23 points and six boards per game in the playoffs to lead the scoring charge in their sweep of the Lakers. In his nine-year career, Ramsay posted averages of 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Cliff Hagan:

A great swingman for the old St. Louis Hawks, Cliff Hagan was one of the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky. Hagan averaged a double-double for three straight seasons from 1957 to 1960, winning an NBA Championship in the first of the three as the Hawks' leading scorer in the playoffs. He was a participant in five NBA All-Star Games and one ABA All-Star Game and earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rajon Rondo:

Current Boston Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo has become one of the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky. Rondo has improved in each of his first four NBA seasons, earning his first All-Star appearances in 2010. He is one of the most energetic and effective play-makers in basketball, capable of creating easy opportunities seemingly at ease. In 2009-10, Rondo broke the Celtics' team records for single-season assists and steals, dishing out 794 assists and grabbing a league-leading 189 steals.

Antoine Walker:

A star forward for the Boston Celtics from 1996 to 2003, Antoine Walker was one of the best NBA players from the University of Kentucky. Walker averaged better than 20 points per game five times, finishing with career averages of 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest. The three-time All Star also played for the Mavericks, Hawks, Heat, and Wolves, winning a championship with Miami in 2006 as the team's sixth man.

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