“He is a shot-changer,” Tennessee guard Josh Richardson said. “The dude is like 6-foot-10 with 7-6 arms. If you get in the lane, you’ve got to go at him, but it’s always going to be in the back of your mind that this dude is huge and he’s probably going to block it.”
Even when opponents don’t think Davis is going to block it, he often ends up blocking it.
“I think they think I can’t get over there that quick,” Davis said. “They think they’ve got a layup and I’ll come out of nowhere and block it.”
Davis’ ability to cover ground with a stride and a leap clinched the game against North Carolina in December, when he blocked a John Henson jumper at the buzzer for a one-point victory. While the defensive presence has been constant all season, his offensive game continues to evolve and improve.
Davis opened the game Tuesday night with a 19-foot jumper. Then he fluidly finished a left-handed layup in transition. A couple of possessions later, he banked in a jumper from out front, then had a dunk. Less than five minutes in, he had eight points in a variety of ways and Kentucky led 12-2. School basically was out at that point.
“He’s a special player,” Calipari said. “And mainly because he’s about his teammates. There are players out there [who are] really good players and all that, but their teammates don’t want to play with them, don’t like them.”
