Kentucky vs. Kansas: Debating NBA Futures of Anthony Davis and Thomas Robinson

Short of a devastating injury, Anthony Davis and Thomas Robinson will both be Top 5 picks in the 2012 NBA Draft, regardless of which team—Kentucky or Kansas—emerges victorious from Monday night's NCAA tournament final.

In a class replete with quality big men, Davis and Robinson stand head and shoulders above the rest, a point made perfectly clear by their sweeping of the National Player of the Year awards and inclusion as AP first team All-Americans.

But, which of these two towering standouts has the better pro potential, both as rookies and far into the future?

The Case for Anthony Davis

Picking Davis as the better pro prospect is something of a no-brainer. At 6'10" and with a wing span that extends well beyond seven feet, Davis is arguably the most dominant defensive presence to play college ball since Patrick Ewing suited up for John Thompson at Georgetown. The Chicago kid led the nation in blocked shots, with 4.6 per game, to go with double-double averages of 14.3 points and 10 rebounds.

And that's without so much as mentioning his offensive repertoire or his perimeter skills. Davis spent most of his life as a guard, up until a growth spurt that saw him shoot up 10 inches between his freshman and junior years of high school.

As a result, Davis went from being a relative unknown in his own backyard to a national prep sensation, and now possesses the size of a power forward-center in combination with the ball-handling, passing and shooting abilities of a guard.

Of course, Davis has hardly had the opportunity to showcase those still-somewhat-raw skills at Kentucky, nor has John Calipari needed him to. Why have Davis play all five positions when Kentucky has NBA prospects like Terrence Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb occupying the other four?

In essence, then, we've only seen a fraction of all that Davis is capable of. It's that high ceiling, that all-important upside, that makes Davis such a tremendous pro prospect. He's already so good, and yet, he's barely scratched the surface of his talent.

That's not to say he'll be a rousing success in the pros right away. He's still a bit immature developmentally and, at 220 pounds, is bound to get pushed around by the bigger, stronger forwards in the NBA. Once his body fills out, though, watch out. 

The Case for Thomas Robinson

It's in that department—physical maturity—that Robinson takes the cake. At 6'10" and 237 pounds, the Kansas star comes equipped with an NBA-ready body and a solid understanding of how to use his bulk to his advantage. Robinson's size and strength has enabled him to dominate most other big men down low this season, to the tune of 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

And it's not as though the Washington, D.C. native is just some big brute who doesn't know how to play the game. He's demonstrated a knack for hitting timely jumpers out to 18 feet and is smooth enough to make quick moves to get around his man in the post.

What's more, Robinson's status as a junior underlies the notion that he, too, is a late bloomer—a raw prospect who sat on the bench for two years in Lawrence before exploding onto the national scene as a starter this season. There's plenty of room for improvement in Robinson's game, contrary to what his age and his physique would suggest.

That being said, Robinson is hardly the long, bouncy athlete that Davis is, nor is he all that well-equipped to operate against opponents who are.

Still, there's no denying that Robinson boasts the sort of toughness—both physically and mentally—to be a steady contributor, at the very least, at the next level.

The Verdict?

There's a lot to like about Robinson, as both a person and a basketball player, but Davis has to take the cake. There's a reason Davis is the prohibitive favorite to be the top pick in the draft, while Robinson is considered "merely" Top 5 material—because Davis is taller, longer, younger and more skilled, and yet is no less unselfish and plays just as hard.

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