Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) played his college basketball at the University of Kentucky for the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017–18 season.

He originally committed to Florida but later decommitted and chose Kentucky from a final list that included Kansas, Syracuse, Texas, and UNLV. At Kentucky, he played one season (2017–18), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds while becoming the team’s primary guard and leading them on a deep SEC and NCAA tournament run.