March Madness 2012: Kentucky's Anthony Davis Will Be Unstoppable This Tourney

It's not every day a talent like Anthony Davis comes around for a team like Kentucky, and it's not every March that fans get to see a player this dominant perform in the NCAA tournament.

This year, however, freshman phenomenon Davis will take his talents to his first experience in postseason play. As the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness, Kentucky is expected to be a lock to reach the Final Four in New Orleans this season. With a standout athlete like Davis waiting to take the floor, it would be no surprise to see this team reach that exact potential.

At 6'10", Davis has a size advantage over many of his opponents, and at only 220 pounds, he is athletic enough to handle the ball and score elusively from anywhere on the court.

The Chicago-born forward is averaging 14.3 PPG this season, but perhaps more impressive are his .642 FG percentage, 10.0 RPG and 4.6 BGP. He has recorded a double-double in seven of his last eight appearances for Kentucky, and he has totaled multiple blocks in every game this season, which includes six or more blocks in seven different games.

As an offensive weapon, Davis is a dominant scorer (9-of-13 against Florida on March 4, 10-of-11 against Vanderbilt on Feb. 25, 9-of-10 against South Carolina on Feb. 4, 10-of-12 against Arkansas on Jan. 17 and 6-of-6 against LSU on Jan. 28), and as a defender, it's nearly impossible to score on him.

In winning efforts against Florida, Louisville and Kansas, Davis shined and proved he can play at his top level in meaningful games. As he looks to solidify his value as a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, don't be surprised if his winning drive and determination push him to a new level of greatness in March Madness.

While Davis turned 19 years old on Sunday, his age will only be an inspiring factor for him, as he perhaps understands that this is potentially his only chance at a championship run.

Luckily, sophomore Doron Lamb provides another legitimate scoring threat (13.2 PPG), freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist offers tremendous help on the boards (7.6 RPG) and freshman Marquis Teague gets the ball distribution going with 4.8 APG.

Watching the Kentucky basketball team is a legitimate treat for college basketball fans, and under the leadership of Davis, it feels like this is the year the young sensations can make their best run at the title.

Davis' team has enjoyed much success this year, and while shooting a .487 FG percentage this season, the team is sitting at a pretty 32-2 record going into the tournament.

At 16-0, Kentucky failed to lose a game in SEC play all season long. In his two most recent games against Florida, a team ranked in the Top 25, Davis recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks (March 4) as well as 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists (March 10).

Kentucky will play the winner of Western Kentucky versus Mississippi Valley State and will see its first action on March 15. While this is head coach John Calipari's third straight No. 1 overall recruiting class, the road to the championship may be tough. If both win their first-round games, Kentucky will play the defending champions Connecticut Huskies. After that, the Wildcats may play the Indiana Hoosiers—one of the two teams who have beaten them this season.

Later in the tournament, Baylor and Duke could be legitimate threats to Kentucky. The Wildcats' biggest worry, however, will be getting past Duke to make it to the Final Four.

Duke features prospective NBA talent such as Doc Rivers' standout son, Austin, and Seth Curry, younger brother of Golden State’s Stephon Curry.

Kentucky, however, has seven players on its roster who have potential in the NBA—and the one at the front and center this time of year is going to be Anthony Davis.

Expect Davis to thrive when the tournament begins.

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