The 5 Best Freshmen From Kentucky's John Calipari Era
Terrence Jones, 2010-2011
PER: 25.5
At number five, Terrence Jones is often overlooked as one of the great Kentucky freshmen in recent years.
It might be that Jones was overshadowed by the flash of fellow freshmen Brandon Knight or that his Wildcat team was just 29-9 after the previous 35-3 season. It's the former.
Knight was often the center of attention even though Jones had a much better season by the numbers. Jones led the Wildcats in Defensive Win Shares, with 2.8, and Win Shares, with 5.9 on the season while averaging .199 Win Shares per 40 to Knight's .157.
Jones may have averaged 19.9 points per 40 minutes, but he wasn't very efficient in doing so, with a True Shooting Percentage of just 51.2%. But he did lead Kentucky in rebounds and blocks per game and averaged 11.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per 40 minutes.
Jones was a big reason why the Cats ended their season in the Final Four, which could be the reason he returned for a second season -- unlike many before him. But it might have paid off. Jones was selected 18th overall in 2012 and has become a polished player for the Houston Rockets.