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Willie Cauley-Stein: Stock on the Rise

By Austin Sutcliffe

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When Willie Cauley-Stein came to the Kentucky Wildcats, he was in the shadow of Philadelphia Sixers star Nerlens Noel. Even in his second year with the team, he was not the big name in the front court while sharing it with Julius Randle. His Junior year however, he finally came into his own, and became a defensive stopper that has shot his name up the draft boards.

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Cauley-Stein has worked out for multiple teams over the past few weeks, The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets to name a few. In these work outs he has done nothing but impress.

What the scouts are now getting to see in front of their very own eyes is his ability to run the floor and his versatility. Chad Ford of ESPN has scouted Cauley-Stein steadily and with his ability to guard any position on the floor, expects him to fall no further than the 6th pick to the Sacramento Kings.

One thing that the Kentucky Wildcats fan base did not see much of until later in his career is confidence. After the dunk Cauley-Stein had in Gainesville nearly ending a players career, that confidence finally started to sneak through. That confidence has since then gained even more momentum and the future lottery pick believes he is the best player in the draft.

"“I see myself as the No. 1 player in the draft, but it is what it is,” said the 7-foot, 240-pound former Kentucky standout. “You can just take it day-by-day, put in the work and the draft is going to be the outcome of whatever the draft is.”Is he mad at not being mentioned in the same breath with former Wildcats teammate Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke star Jalil Okafor, the first two players expected to be chosen.“You can’t get mad about it,” he said. “You just gotta work for it.”"

If Cauley-Stein wants to prove his worth, he knows that his main focus will have to be on the offensive side of the ball. The scouts realize this as well and have put him through drills just to test his offensive abilities.

"“I showed today that I’ve got good mechanics on the shot,” he said. “Showing that I’m confident in my shot and I can consistently make it.”“I feel like they do the same thing for everybody, though,” Cauley-Stein said. “They put you through the same drills, it’s just to see if you can do the same move over and over and over, and make or miss you’re doing it with confidence.”"

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