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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 03-17-2017, 12:56 PM:

Both Davis and Towns were 5-star recruits, like Adebayo, but where they started and finished their lone season in Lexington was worlds apart. That’s what Calipari expected of Adebayo – a jump from good to great at some point – when he drew the heady comparison last summer.

“When you start hitting late January and February, you’re going to say, ‘Oh, my goodness,’ ” the Wildcats’ coach said then. “Because he’s a beast with skills … and he wants to win.”

Reminded of that prediction Thursday, on the eve of second-seeded Kentucky’s 2017 NCAA Tournament opener against 15th-seeded Northern Kentucky, Calipari grinned and nodded.

“Right,” he said, as in, See, I told you so. “Now all of a sudden you’re skilled with the ball and you’re athletic and you can fly. That’s not normal. There’s only one in five years like that. We’ve been lucky at Kentucky because we’ve had (several).”

Like Davis and Towns, Adebayo has elevated his game to a new level just in time for postseason. He averaged a very respectable 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds through his first 26 college games, but the Dwight Howard clone started slipping in NBA draft projections because scouts thought it odd such an impressive physical specimen didn’t dominate the paint more.

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Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 03-17-2017, 02:51 PM:

Bam ain't even in the same zip-code as Towns and Davis when it comes to skill at the college level and taking over a game. I don't even think Bam is the same state as those two.

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-17-2017, 08:47 PM:

Bam is a much more physical player than Davis, and is much more focused on his core strength (playing the post) than Davis or Townes were.

But Davis is a once-a-decade talent, and Townes has grown incredibly as a pro. Both are longer and much, MUCH better rim protectors than Bam. Bam is better suited to be a power-forward in the pros (a classic version, not the modern "stretch four"), given his size and game. Will Bam be a perennial all-star? Time will tell. All I know is all-star or no all-star, he will be richer than I will ever be. [Smile]

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 03-18-2017, 12:55 AM:

I really think he has moved back into challenging for the top 10 in the draft while Monk is definitely dropping and Fox may be also.