March Madness 2012: Round of 32 Match-Up Will Determine Top Pick in NBA Draft

Freshmen Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis are the odds on favorites for the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. If the stars align, we will see the two battle head to head in the round of 32.

If top seeded Kentucky knocks off Western Kentucky in Louisville, and if UConn gets by Iowa State, the two most highly touted big men in the country will meet.

There will be tons of NBA scouts in attendance; you can bet on that.

This match-up will be a big barometer for the team that wins the NBA lottery. With both Drummond and Davis looking like stud young bigs, the team with the top pick will have to decide which one they want.

Seeing them play head to head will go a long way in determining that.

Davis is a solid Naismith Award candidate. He leads the free world in blocked shots, averaging 4.6 per game. He also leads the nation's No. 1 team in scoring and rebounding with 14 and 10 respectively.

Davis' numbers could be even more gaudy if he wasn't playing for such a talented team. If he were the primary offensive option, he'd probably be pouring in over 20 per game.

Drummond's maturation process has been slower, but he has definitely shown flashes of brilliance. He has averaged 10.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks himself.

He had 17 points and 14 rebounds in February against Syracuse, and 20 points with 13 rebounds against West Virginia in January.

Still, he hasn't been on Davis' level in regards to overall consistency.

Despite the better freshman year, many scouts like Drummond much better because of his size and athleticism.

Aran Smith of HoopsHype.com quoted one NBA scout with this assessment and comparison of the two:

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At 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds, Drummond is said to be the fastest player on the UConn team. Remarkable when you consider that most players lose their mobility when they bulk up to his size. This from an NBA scout: "I see guys like (Anthony) Davis all the time, guys like Drummond are rare. It's been five years since the last one (physically dominant, elite level big man) which was Oden." He is in the same category athletically with Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard and while he's still raw offensively, he shows excellent finishing touch around the basket. The biggest chink in his armor is his free throw shooting, where he hits at a miserable sub-40 percent rate.

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I must agree, but it would be difficult to continue this argument if Davis outplays him head to head.

It is certainly possible; the 6'10," 220 pound Davis has more versatility, but isn't in the same category as far as strength.

He handles the ball much better as well, thanks to a 7" growth spurt last year. Essentially, he still has the two guard skills he was forced to develop when he was a much shorter kid.

If will be an interesting match-up, if it happens. The Hilltoppers and/or Cyclones could ruin the travel plans of a few scouts by pulling off victories.

For the sake of the match-up, I hope it happens. It isn't often that college basketball gives us these types of match-ups anymore.

It would be good for both the college and the pro game.