Willie Cauley-Stein Shoves Perception Aside With His Facial Against Florida
By Vinny Hardy
Feb 7, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) reacts after he made a free throw against the Florida Gators during the second half at Stephen C. O
If I was writing today and ranking the best Kentucky dunks Willie Cauley-Stein’s work against Florida on Feb. 7, 2015 would have carved out a place in the top five for itself. James Young’s slam against UConn in last year’s National Championship game was nasty in its own right.
Sadly, Young’s dunk won’t get the fullest extent of credit it deserves because Kentucky was down nine at the time and the midway point of the second half was approaching. Things were getting tense. The Cats needed buckets and Young provided one. We were hoping that may have been the spark that ignited the rally but UK just never could get the Huskies in their grasp.
On the other hand Cauley-Stein’s posterization of Florida’s Devin Robinson and ensuing free throw propelled Kentucky to a lead it would never relinquish.
Cauley-Stein’s dunk had the sports world buzzing. It was very impressive to say the least. For seven footers, more often than not, it’s harder for them to make our jaws drop than it is for 6’6″ wing players or 6’1″ point guards. Watching smaller players go in among the trees and finish with a nasty dunk is what everyone wants to see. Big guys don’t have to jump as high because they are taller and when they dunk on guys no one gives them any credit because “that’s what they’re supposed to do.”
If they put one down on a smaller player then people feel like they should pick on someone their own size.
You don’t have to look any further than the NBA Slam Dunk Contest winners to see that smaller guys have an advantage. In the 29 years that the event has been held only three times has the winner been 6’10 or taller (Larry Nance 1984, Dwight Howard 2008 & Blake Griffin 2011). Shawn Kemp, one of the best in-game dunking big men to ever play never won a dunk contest.
Willie shoved all of the typical perceptions of big men dunking aside with his work of art on Robinson. His athleticism was on display because this play happened in transition which allowed him to get out in the open court. The launching point was noteworthy too as he took off a good distance from the rim. He’s explosive and a good leaper and he glided over and through Robinson.
Another key component in my opinion was the reaction of strength and conditioning Rock Oliver. All of us no doubt had some type of instinctual reaction to Willie’s dunk. I’m sure we all yelled, hollered, jumped or some combination of all of those things when the dunk occurred. Watching Rock was just as entertaining as watching the dunk itself.
It’s definitely one of those plays that will be etched in our minds for a long time to come. It had that type of impact.