The Kentucky Wildcats have been perfect so far this season, getting out to a 22-0 unblemished start to the 2014-15 NCAA season.
A huge factor in their run to be the first team to go undefeated since the Indiana Hoosiers has been the play of junior center Willie Cauley-Stein, whom combines some insane athleticism, lock-down defense, into a long and lengthy 7 foot frame.
NBA scouts have been drooling about Cauley-Stein’s defensive prowess as he is capable of guarding any position, from 1 through 5 on any given night.
While his offensive game may never make the opposing team’s points of emphasis, he is one of the nation’s leaders in FG%, converting put-backs and dunks within 5 feet of the basket.
In fact, he has been one of the nation’s leaders in dunks, finishing way above the rim on a game-by-game basis. Maybe some have forgotten, but Cauley-Stein’s first breakout moment was when he threw down a poster dunk on the more highly touted Nerlens Noel at the 2012 Kentucky Midnight Madness.
The former high school standout as a 7 foot wide receiver continues to impress the NBA scouts and is looked at as a potential Lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, as well as the being the frontrunner for 2015 NCAA Defensive Player of the Year.
In the midst of Kentucky coming back from a double digit 2nd half deficit against Florida on Saturday night, Willie Cauley-Stein threw down arguably the dunk of the season so far in college hoops, channeling Blake Griffin with this vicious posterization of poor Florida defender Devin Robinson….
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
