Freshman big man Anthony Davis is averaging more than 10 rebounds per game. DeMarcus Cousins got close to that level in his one season at Kentucky, averaging 9.8 carooms per game, but if Davis can stay above the level of 10, he’ll be the first Wildcat to do that since Kenny Walker in 1985.
Before “Sky,” you have to go back to 1972, when Jim Andrews averaged 11 rebounds per game.
John Calipari has said his first thought was “another Marcus Camby” when he first saw Davis play. In our pregame interview before the Lamar game, I asked the coach how Davis reminded him of the former UMass star beyond just body type.
“He’s blocking shots like Marcus Camby. He’s ahead of Marcus conditioning-wise and his shooting ability,” Calipari said on the UK radio network segment. “Marcus was like him in that he was a 6-2 guard who went to 6-10. Marcus is a little longer, he’s almost seven-foot tall, but it’s a comparison in blocking shots and changing the defense because he’s out there.”
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When Doron Lamb made only three of nine shots against Lamar, it knocked his career field goal percentage down to 49.4 percent. One or two hot-shooting games could put him back at 50 or above and if he finishes his career there, he would be in some lofty company.
Lamb is on pace to make more than 600 shots and the other Kentucky “guard” I could find who made that many baskets and shot above 50 percent for his career was legendary sharpshooter Louie Dampier. If you move the line down to 500 made shots, you can add Kyle Macy to the club. And if you want to expand the club to “perimeter” players rather than just guards, you pick up only Jack “Goose” Givens and Kevin Grevey.
Any way you cut it, that would be elite company at the University of Kentucky.
“When his motor is running, he scores with anybody in the country, especially as a two-point shooter,” said coach John Calipari.
“We need somebody that can make those shots. Normally, we don’t want any mid-level shots but the way people play this team (we do). There’s points in the game where you just need baskets and we’ve added some stuff where he gets a screen,” Calipari added.
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Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has likened himself to Tim Tebow in that he’s all about winning. And that kind of mindset equals leadership, a quality it’s certainly not surprising to see from MKG.
“I just tell him to keep doing what you’re doing. He’s slowly but surely taking over that spot on this team because of how hard he works and how hard he plays. But you want more than one leader anyway,” Calipari noted. “What I’m trying to do is build leaders. Leading means to serve your team. You also lead by example. I’m trying to teach 12 guys (to do that).”
Calipari says which players take over leadership roles can change during the course of the season and when that starts to happen, it’s a good sign.
