Another former Kentucky Wildcat who has had an extremely productive career in the NBA is Tayshaun Prince. Prince was part of the Wildcat family from 1998-2002. Prince had an outstanding career in a Kentucky uniform. He was voted the SEC Player of the Year in his junior season and was named to the All-SEC team in his junior and senior seasons. Prince's most memorable performance came in a 79-59 victory over North Carolina. Prince came out blistering the nets with three pointer after three pointer, including one from a few steps past half court. Prince finished that game with 31 points and 11 rebounds.
After his senior season for Kentucky, Prince was drafted 23rd in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. Prince found himself in a great position with one of the best teams in the NBA at the time. In Prince's first season, he struggled to crack the Pistons rotation and played in only 42 of the team's 82 games. WIth the arrival on new coach Larry Brown, Prince saw his playing time and production increase dramatically in his second season with the Pistons.
One of the most memorable moments in Prince's career came in the second game of the 2004 Eastern Conference FInals against the Indiana Pacers. Reggie Miller was headed to a wide open layup when Prince came from out of nowhere to make an incredible block on Miller's shot. The block was claimed by the Pistons and effectively ended the game and secured a Pistons win. Prince also played incredible defense on the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals, helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship.
Tayshaun Prince has gone on to become one of the best defenders in the NBA and has become a vital part of the Detroit Pistons team. Prince has continued to average nearly 14 points a game each season in his Detroit Pistons career. In addition to his successes in the NBA with the Pistons, Prince was also a member of the 2008 USA Basketball "Redeem Team" that brought the gold medal back to the USA in the Beijing Olympic Games.
