Karl-Anthony Towns says Kentucky 'brotherhood' has carried into the NBA

KAT's one year in Lexington left a long-term impact.

Mar 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Karl-Anthony Towns (12) shoots against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the finals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

It has been almost 10 years since Karl-Anthony Towns and Kentucky ran through the 2014-15 college basketball season unbeaten until falling to Wisconsin in the Final Four. Towns was only in Lexington for one season, but it left a long-term impact on his playing career.

In his lone season with the Wildcats, Towns played with future NBA veterans Devin Booker and Trey Lyles on a loaded roster. Head coach John Calipari made a name for himself developing players for the next level like Julius Randle the year before and Jamal Murray the year after amongst a laundry list of other stars.

"In a way, [Calipari] made the NBA run through Kentucky," Towns said on a recent iteration of The Paul Finebaum Show. "When you're always seeing your Kentucky brethren out there and seeing them play well — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Julius Randle, Devin Booker and Trey Lyles
— all of these amazing players that have came through the Coach Cal program and Kentucky."

"It's a brotherhood...when you go to the University of Kentucky you truly are stepping into a family you'll have for life."

Karl Anthony-Towns reflects with @finebaum on his time at @KentuckyMBB 😼 pic.twitter.com/Sl7ya1CljN

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 14, 2024

Towns played college basketball in an era where the one-and-done route was commonplace and Calipari used it to his advantage. He attended the University of Kentucky for less than 12 months, but the relationships and developmental skills that he acquired in college have carried into a long NBA career as he heads into his 10th season with the Timberwolves.

"It's a brotherhood, [Calipari] really made it a brotherhood, we really look out for each other, you always want to see each other do well. That brotherhood is no joke at Kentucky," Towns said. "When you go to the University of Kentucky, you truly are stepping into a family you'll have for life."

After 15 seasons at Kentucky, Calipari is entering into his first season as head coach at Arkansas.