Future NBAers Looking to Prove the Hype Correct
In taking a glance at the current version of Kentucky basketball, the thing that jumps out almost immediately and perhaps more than anything else; is the large quantity of potential future NBA Players that are currently on the roster. Many of these players are ones that arguably will be Lottery Picks (1-13) in this Summer´s NBA Draft, should they decide to leave school early to make the jump to the league, or players that will be eventually chosen in a future NBA Draft. The most heralded of all these players is AP CONSENSUS National Player of the Year PF Anthony Davis, who in only his Freshman Year also took home the Naismith Award, which also honors him as the best overall player in the country. Davis dominated the NCAA game in his first year in manners the likes of which have only been seen in the contemporary hoops era by Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. The former in Anthony went on to lead the Syracuse Orangemen to a National title as a Frosh, and the latter in Durant won virtually every honor possible but the MVP trophy that accompanies winning an NCAA Championship. Oddly enough, Anthony won his NCAA title against Kansas 9 years ago.
In addition to Anthony Davis, John Calipari´s Kentucky Wildcats are also blessed with the incredible services of future NBA Players, Terrance Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Daron Lamb, and 3pt marksman Darius Miller. A college team hasn´t been this stacked since the Gator Boys of Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Taurean Green. That team won back to back NCAA National Championships in 2006 and 2007 respectively. An even more mind blowing thought when thinking about this Kentucky team is one of the guys who would have been on this current team if they hadn´t already joined the NBA. Imagine having John Wall, Brandon Knight, Demarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe in addition to the aforementioned court magicians? Luckily for Kansas they won´t have to deal with those guys in addition to the hell they´re going to be put through in trying to shutdown the Wildcats tonight.
Tonight´s game isn´t so much about a battle between College Basketball´s 2 Most winning programs , nor is it so much about being a coaching rematch of the 2008 NCAA Final, which John Calipari remembers in horror for how Derrick Rose and his then Memphis Tigers blew a 9pt lead and went on to lose in OT, but what tonight´s game is really about is seeing whether the hype surrounding these potential future NBAers has merit and for them to prove themselves on the highest stage that the NCAA monopoly of future basketball talent offers up. Given the talent that Kentucky has on paper this should be a blow out, but Kansas although only having a pair of proven potential NBAers in Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor is incredibly well coached under Bill Self and will look to up their own potential NBA draft stock status.
Regardless of who wins tonight, we as lucky spectators will get to see some of the future´s best players give it their all in the present moment. Enjoy the game and take note because you´ll be able to see at least 10 of the participants of tonight´s game in an NBA arena or NBA highlights accessible to you. Enjoy the game and look forward to the future!