Anthony Davis, Freshman, Power Forward, Kentucky
Overview:
Anthony Davis is one of the most versatile players in the 2011 class. That is saying a lot for a barely 18 year old freshman, who as recently as a year ago, was basically unknown. He was first noticed on his Illinois AAU team as a junior in high school. However, Davis is not unknown anymore. He is on top of many recruits’ lists and ultimately decided to head to Kentucky for his college career. Davis is a highly productive player, impacting the game on both sides of the floor. He is able to score in a variety of ways, due to his size and the ability to post up or score off the dribble. Defensively, he can be a game changer, blocking shots with his enormous length, as well as guarding multiple positions on the floor. Along with his defensive prowess, he is a quality rebounder on both the offensive and defensive end. He is a tough competitor that plays hard and is extremely coachable.
Davis is 6’10”, 210 pounds. However, had this been written two years ago, we would be talking about Anthony Davis the point guard, not Anthony Davis the power forward. After growing ten inches between his sophomore and senior years in high school, Davis will need to work on gaining some weight and developing his new body to adjust to the college game.
Final Projection:
Davis has transformed from an unknown to being considered by some, the top prospect in the country. He will join a very talented Kentucky Wildcats team, but should get playing time right away. Being someone other teams will game plan for, he will need to develop quickly, but considering how far he has come from just a few short years ago, it does not seem like it will be much of a problem. Davis has a bright future to say the least, and with a good showing in his freshman campaign, he could be as highly regarded leaving college, as he was going in.
5/31/12 Update by Dan Levine:
Davis solidified his stock as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft after dominating the college basketball world last season. He was a national champion, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. His dominance on the defensive end is invaluable to an NBA squad.
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