Kentucky Basketball: Grading Anthony Davis and Every Wildcats Freshman so Far

John Calipari brought in arguably the best recruiting class in a decade for the Kentucky Wildcats this season, and these freshmen have made an impression. Through 12 games, these four kids have proven their worth and shown flashes of brilliance.

With four recruits in the top 20 in the class, including three in the top nine, this recruiting class was one of the best ever, and they have proven to be so.

Even though most of these players won't be in college next season we can grade their performances through the beginning of the season.

Kyle Wiltjer (B-)

Position: Forward

Rank in Recruiting Class: 19

Stat line: 16.0 minutes per game, 7.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG

Kyle Wiltjer is a 6'9", 239-pound forward from Portland, OR. He is a highly skilled player who plays very well with his back to the basket and can knock down open threes.

Wiltjer has everything he needs to be a great player except for playing time. He is behind a few players on a stacked roster, but when he plays at least 19 minutes he averages 13.3 points per game.

In the first game of the season, he put up 14 points in 19 minutes, and then in the third game he put up 19 points in 28 minutes. While this is impressive, he didn't even take a shot in the second game because he played only three minutes.

In his last game, Wiltjer put up a season-high 24 points, yet there is still doubt about how much he will play. While this roster is stacked, Wiltjer deserves more playing time, and he should get it next season when he returns.

This kid has shown flashes of brilliance and he would start on just about any other team in the country. We can't fault Wiltjer for not getting playing time on a team like Kentucky, and since he has shown talent I give him a B-.

Marquis Teague (B+)

Position: Point guard

Rank in Recruiting Class: 9

Stat line: 30.9 minutes per game, 10.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG

Marquis Teague is a stud. He is an exceptional point guard with great court vision, but he can also beat most other guards in a one-on-one situation. He is a special player because of his ability to lead when necessary, but he is not selfish.

Teague has been vital to this team's success because he runs the offense. He is leading an athletic attack and creating for others, demonstrated by his 4.5 assists per game.

Teague is playing well, but he is also shooting a lot. He is taking almost 10 shots per game and he isn't getting to the free-throw line a lot. He is playing the most of any player on the team and he could be doing more.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (B)

Position: Small forward

Rank in Recruiting Class: 4

Stat line: 30.1 minutes per game, 13.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.0 APG

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a do-everything small forward. I compared him to a younger LeBron James (minus the attitude) over the summer, and he has become a great player. While he is not a star, he is still a key contributor.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a consistent player who scored less than 10 points in a game only twice (once five points, once nine), and he dropped 17 against North Carolina.

Kidd-Gilchrist is proving that he was a good player from the start, and while he is not doing better than some of the players he was mentioned with in the recruiting class like Brad Beal of Florida, he is still doing well.

Anthony Davis (A)

Position: Center

Rank in Recruiting Class: 1

Stat line: 28.1 minutes per game, 11.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 4.3 BPG

Anthony Davis was ranked No. 1 in the 2011 recruiting class for good reason. The kid is an animal, and he is an absolute beast in the paint on either end of the floor. He is big and surprisingly athletic, which allows him to run the floor well and be a factor in transition.

Davis is a great shot-blocker, whose block in the final seconds against North Carolina sealed the Wildcats victory. The team goes as Davis does in some ways, and when he was on the bench for their loss against Indiana the team suffered.

He is also a force on offense, carving out space down low and finishing with an array of moves in the paint.

Davis has been the best freshman in the nation this year and is favored for Freshman of the Year with his main competitor being Brad Beal of Florida. Davis is living up to the hype and has deserved an A so far.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to college basketball, college football, the NFL, NBA, MLB and much more. Follow him on Twitter.