UK’s Anthony Davis posting historical
rebounding rate, field goal percentage

UK freshman forward Anthony Davis has already set the UK single-season blocked-shots record, but blocks are not the only statistic he is accumulating at a historical rate.

Through 23 games, Davis is averaging 10.2 rebounds per game. That average would tie the highest single-season mark by any UK player since Jim Andrews averaged 12.4 rebounds per game in the 1972-73 season. At his current pace, Davis would be the first UK player to average double-digit rebounds in a season since Kenny Walker did in 1984-85.

“It’s always great to get rebounds, offensively and defensively” Davis said following UK’s 69-44 win versus Tennessee on Tuesday. “Offensively we get a second chance. Just keep rebounding on the offensive end, we get more chances, more chances.

“On the defensive end, rebounds lead to breaks. We like to run, so when we get the ball off a rebound on the defensive end, we just give the ball to Marquis (Teague), he runs down and does what he has to do.”

Davis has tallied double-digit rebounds in 10 games this season. He’s grabbed at least 15 rebounds on three occasions, highlighted by a career-high 18 rebounds against Chattanooga.

UK has had few players even flirt with a double-digit rebounding average in a season since Walker accomplished the feat in the 1984-85 season. The player to come closest to the feat was DeMarcus Cousins, who averaged 9.8 rebounds in the 2009-10 season. Just three UK players have averaged at least nine rebounds per game in the last 26 seasons.

Davis’ 11 double-doubles this season are fourth most by a freshman in UK history.

UK sophomore forward Terrence Jones led the Wildcats with a 8.8 rebounds per game average last season, but he has seen his rebounding average drop by more than two rebounds per game with Davis on the team. Jones recorded 13 double-doubles as a freshman, but has yet to record a double-double as a sophomore.

“It’s hard to rebound with all these dudes on my team,” Jones said before UK played Tennessee. “For real. Three dudes (are) trying to get 10 each game.”

Davis has garnered the most attention on the defensive end of the court this season, but he’s making what shots he takes count on the offensive end.

Davis’s current 65.0 field goal percentage would rank No. 2 on UK’s all-time single-season list, behind Michael Bradley who posted a 65.7 field goal percentage in the 1988-89 season.

Davis’ field goal percentage has been boosted by a high number of attempts from close-range. The play-by-plays from UK’s games this season credit Davis with 61 dunks, around 52 percent of his total field goals.

On Tuesday, Davis showcased his long-range shooting ability with two jump shots from just inside the three-point line in the first four minutes versus Tennessee.

“I just took advantage of my opportunities,” Davis said. “I knew I could knock down the shots. When I was open, I had confidence and my teammates had confidence in me. I knocked them down.”

Davis’ field-goal percentage has been helped by a concentrated effort not to force shots this season, he said.

“I want to let it come to me,” he said. “When you force your offense to come, that’s when you start 0-12, have bad shooting percentages and taking bad shots. Then you get out of the game. I just want to let the offensive game come to me. Don’t want to force anything.”

By consistently converting jump shots, Davis can open up other possibilities for his teammates.

“It really opens up the lane for Marquis or Terrence, whoever it is that’s got the ball,” he said. “It really opens up the floor for them to get layups, make plays.”

As Davis closes in on some historical rebounding and field goal percentage statistics for a UK player, he still can make a national statement with his shot blocking.

With 108 blocks on the season, Davis is seven blocks from matching Shaquille O’Neal’s Southeastern Conference freshman block record of 115 blocks in a season. Davis also has a chance to break the current NCAA freshman block record of 182, set by Marshall’s Hassan Whiteside, and the SEC single-season block record of 170, set by Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado.

It’s Davis’ demeanor that impresses UK head coach John Calipari

“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,” he said. “This kid — let me just say this: He whistles and skips going to class he’s so happy.

“He’s enjoying himself, he’s not putting nay pressure on himself, he’s just playing.”

Davis is putting up his impressive statistics without taking away from his teammates, Calipari said.

“He doesn’t command the ball,” he said. “I mean, he’s just playing. If you pass him up, he doesn’t get mad about it. He rebounds, he blocks shots. Today (he had) three assists, one turnover. He’s a special player.”

Photos by Mark Boxley.