Kentucky Players Had Highest Synergy Impact in 2024-25 NBA Season

The list of Kentucky alums include Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) celebrates with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) after scoring during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

When you think of the greatest college basketball programs, the University of Kentucky is probably one of the first to come to mind. Over the last two decades, the amount of NBA talent that has walked through its doors is staggering.

Of course, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the player who stands above the rest. The league MVP is coming off his first NBA Finals victory after a regular season campaign with averages of 32.7 points, five rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game on a true shooting percentage of 57.4%.

With that production and over 30 active Kentucky alums currently playing in the NBA, it's no surprise that the university had the highest combined Synergy Player Impact total during the 2024-25 season. It had a cumulative total of +1543 points, while the next-best in Duke had just +646.

The highest combined Synergy Player Impact during the 2024-25 #NBA season by college attended: pic.twitter.com/eAKA5kOn6l

— Synergy Basketball (@SynergySST) August 5, 2025

Aside from Gilgeous-Alexander, some of the biggest Wildcat names are Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and De'Aaron Fox, just to name a few. He isn't the only player on the Thunder to attend Kentucky, however, as Cason Wallace is also a former Wildcat. The program currently runs deep in Oklahoma City.

Former Kentucky coach John Calipari has offered praise to Gilgeous-Alexander since he moved on to the next level, even comparing him to Derrick Rose — the other player he coached that went on to win an MVP.

"I've coached two MVPs: Derrick Rose and Shai. Both had the same DNA. Unbelievable teammates,"Calipari said on The Pat McAfee Show. "Shai won't do an interview unless his teammates are around. Derrick wouldn't take a picture unless his teammates were around. You'll never hear a player that played with them ever say a bad word because they're great teammates. They were both wired and driven; one by trying to prove himself, 'I'm better than you think,' the other trying to live up to what he was."

Right now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the top Wildcat representing his alma mater. He spent one season with the program, blossomed into a lottery prospect and was selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. As fate would have it, the guard found his way from the L.A. Clippers to Oklahoma City just a year later.

The first MVP might not be Gilgeous-Alexander's last, either. Still at just 27 years old, he has plenty of room to add even more accolades to his resume before it's all said and done.