LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nerlens Noel is not Anthony Davis. Six
safer words will not be spoken in college basketball this season.
Don't credit me with that revelation. Credit Kentucky coach
John Calipari. He got the comparison junk out of the way quickly Thursday
during the Wildcats' annual media day.
"I worry about it because he's not Anthony Davis," Calipari
said.
Calipari said that Davis was the kind of player you see once
every 10 years. It's dangerous to quibble with anything Calipari says these
days. But I'll challenge him here. Actually, Davis is the kind of player you
see every 20 or 30 years.
Freshman of the Year. Player of the Year. Final Four Most
Outstanding Player when UK won the NCAA title. First pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
That is the Cliff's Notes version of Davis' achievements.
Who is Noel, the 6-foot-10 replacement part from New
England? They say the only thing flat about Noel's game is his hairdo.
"He's a high-energy guy," said Jon Hood, the UK junior who
arrived with DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall three years ago. "He goes after it.
He's a force inside.
"He's very athletic. Quick off his feet. He can score with
both hands. He's got such great length that it's hard to block. He just needs
to keep working on his touch and he's going to be a fantastic player."
Does that scouting report sound accurate?
"I think my game is playing hard, running the court,
blocking shots, rebounding, being a good teammate and just bringing what I have
to the table," Noel said.
"I'm not looking to be anyone that I'm not. I know I'm my
own person, my own player … I feel comfortable."
Good for him. Every freshman deserves to start a season in a
comfort zone. Comparing Noel to Davis is like comparing the next hot sitcom to
Seinfeld or the next guitar hero to Hendrix. Don't go there.
Heck, Noel has yet to be cleared to play this season by the
NCAA, although he said he did not expect a problem. Calipari said that if
Kentucky played a game Friday, Noel would be in his lineup.
Calipari loves his work ethic, enthusiasm and willingness to
be productive in the weight room, where Noel has added about a dozen pounds to
his exclamation point frame.
Noel's high school numbers – 12.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.9
blocks – were solid, but hardly spectacular. Yet several services ranked Noel
the top prospect in the nation.
But, Nerlens Noel is no Anthony Davis. Guess what? Neither
is any other freshman in college basketball this season.
Some truths seem self-evident. That is one of them.
"It's not fair to compare them," said UK sophomore Kyle
Wiltjer. "They're both fantastic players. They're both good at shot-blocking.
They're unique players. You'll just have to wait and see what Nerlens will do."
We all know we don't live in a wait-and-see world. This is how
this is going to work:
Noel is going to knock a few shots into the seventh row, and
the comparisons will flow. He'll take a pass from Ryan Harrow or Archie
Goodwin, stick his trademark flat-top hairdo near the rim and slam home a
critical basket.
Twitter will crackle. Dick Vitale will scream. Fans will
line up for Noel's autograph. Hold on. They already have. Noel estimated that he
often signs more than 10 autographs walking around campus.
Fans should avoid the comparisons. It won't be fair to Noel.
Writers should take a pledge not to mention both guys in the same paragraph.
Calipari should change the subject every time he is asked to compare.
But at Kentucky, the comparison game is unavoidable.
Marquis Teague was measured against Brandon Knight who was
compared to Wall.
Doron Lamb was asked about Eric Bledsoe. Even Davis, as
spectacular as he was, heard the stories about all the amazing things Cousins
did when he played in the middle for the Wildcats.
Noel won't be the only guy whose skills will be measured
against a former Wildcat who preceded him into the NBA.
Can Harrow play the point better than Teague? Will Alex
Poythress bring as much grit as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. It is unfair. It is
also inevitable.
Especially with Noel and Davis, two top recruits expected to
roll through Lexington quickly on the way to the NBA. Ask Noel about Davis. He knows. He played
against him during the summer.
"I think I did well, but he's a great player," Noel said. "Playing
against him was real good. It showed me how much he's progressed since he got
to Kentucky and how much work he really put in to get where he got now."
Who won the match-up?
"I think he did," Noel said.
Nerlens Noel is not Anthony Davis. We should all pledge to
remember that.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Right Reserved.
Nerlens Noel will be asked to replace Anthony Davis as Kentucky's center.
