When the new rivals rankings come out for the 2011 class, don’t be shocked if Kentucky’s Anthony Davis becomes the top ranked player in the land. He’s that good. After a few years of near anonymity in the recruiting ranks, even the national pundits are taking notice and singing his praises. The Sporting New’s Mike DeCourcy recently talked with Larry Vaught and had these thoughts on Davis and the impact he may have:
"Question: How good is Davis, and what kind of fit is he for Calipari’s system? DeCourcy: ”Davis is an extraordinary prospect, especially as a defender. I’ve rarely seen a young forward with his defensive instincts. “I was sitting with one veteran scout watching Davis blow up pick-and-roll plays with his length one after another after another, and the scout complained that Davis wasn’t getting anything done. “Sometimes scouts put too much emphasis on offense. I’ve called Davis the best defensive prospect coming out of high school since Greg Oden; they’re different players, but nobody since Oden has shown me the ability to affect the game at that end like Davis has. “I can’t remember a player who gets his hands on more balls defensively than Davis. At the Peach Jam, his team, Mean Streets, was behind and needed to press to catch up. Davis was placed on the ball at the front of the press and was deflecting everything. It was an astonishing show. “At the other end in that same game, he drove once down the left side of the lane and whipped a behind-the-back pass to a teammate who was cutting along the left baseline for a layup. So Davis has great skill as well. “To be a game-changing player on offense, he’ll have to become a better perimeter shooter. He’s not going to be a post player with his frame; he’s just too lean. But he can be a 15-point, seven-rebound, three-block player as a freshman. Or better. No doubt in my mind.” Question: Who’s the better player, Davis or Gilchrist? DeCourcy: “As a high school player, I don’t think there’s any question it’s Gilchrist. He has more confidence in his game. He’s been great for so long. He knows exactly what he needs to do to succeed against high school opponents. “My concerns about Gilchrist are not as a high school or college player, but when it comes to the NBA. Other than effort, I’m not sure what he does at the NBA lottery level. He is not an A or A-plus player in the categories of handling, passing or shooting. “He’ll be terrific for Kentucky, though. He’ll immediately be one of the best athletes in the SEC. Like Davis, though, no matter what his high school ratings have been, I don’t see him being a one-and-done player. Somebody might take him, but I believe it would completely short-circuit his development.” Question: Did the fact that Kentucky already had commitments from Teague and Gilchrist play a big role with Davis? DeCourcy: “I honestly don’t know. When I met Davis and spoke with him in early July he had no clear leader but knew he’d probably make a decision when the summer evaluation period ended. “For Kentucky to hire (assistant coach) Kenny Payne when he did was fortuitous. I’m not sure if Davis’ emergence preceded that decision or not, but Payne has been well connected to the Mean Streets program for a long time. John Calipari also recruited Derrick Rose out of Mean Streets."
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