Anthony Davis averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in his rookie season with the New Orleans Hornets. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
It’s that time of year when former Wildcats, with their NBA seasons wrapping up, return to Lexington to catch up with old friends and take advantage of John Calipari’s open invitation to use the Joe Craft Center’s world-class facilities.The first of those Kentucky stars to return was Anthony Davis. Last year’s consensus national player of the year and No. 1 overall pick was back in the Bluegrass last week and Eric Lindsey from CoachCal.com got a chance to spend some time with him to talk about his rookie season, reflect on the 2012 title and how his season at UK helped prepare him for the next level:
Although Davis was considered the top freshman in the country when he arrived at UK, there were questions about his game and his ability to make an immediate all-around impact.Everyone knew Davis possessed the potential to block shots, but it took time for him to become a legitimate offensive threat. By the end of the season, as Kentucky dominated its competition in the NCAA Tournament, there was absolutely no doubt who the best player in the country was and who would be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.Davis said he has John Calipari and UK to thank for his rapid development and preparation for the NBA.“(UK) really prepared me a lot,” Davis said. “I think the benefit of Kentucky is Coach Cal actually coached in the league. I think that helps with the way he runs things here in terms of getting guys prepared for the league. I think that was the biggest plus. He tells guys the truth. He keeps it real with you and tells you how he feels and what he thinks. If you can’t take that, you really won’t be able to take the league.“The coaches in the NBA do the same thing. They try to get you better just like Coach Cal tries to get you better. Just going up and down, playing against each other here makes you better. Every practice (at UK) is physical and it gets you in shape. All that stuff helps because it leads you into the NBA. I think they do a great job here because it just makes the NBA a lot easier.”
