The Significance of #23

Jodie Meeks, Derek Anderson, Roger Harden, Sheray Thomas, Eric Manual, and Junior Braddy are names you might know.

Harry Denham, Cliff Barker, Bruce Davis, Roy Roberts, Jerry Hale, and Dwight Anderson are some you might not.

They all have something in common.

They all wore the #23 while playing basketball at the University of Kentucky.

I want to look at the significance of #23 on this year's team and also, in my opinion, the greatest player to ever wear the number while wearing a Kentucky uniform.

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Darius Miller is averaging 13.5 points per game when he plays 23 minutes. Miller played that many minutes last night, scoring 19 points vs. Georgia.

Terrence Jones has scored 220 points this season, 23% of those have come from the free throw line. Jones is 51-80 from the stripe, going 1-4 last night vs. Georgia.

Doron Lamb has 23 turnovers on the season, which through 21 games is an average of 1.095 per game.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has played less than 23 minutes just 3 times the entire season(Penn St, St. John's, Alabama). He has played 37 minutes or more, which he played last night, 5 times this season.

Marquis Teague has 23 steals on the season, which is tied for 3rd on the team. One would think Teague would have more than that with his recent, stellar defensive play.

Kyle Wiltjer has 23 free throw attempts on the season, making 20 of those.

Eloy Vargas has scored 23 points this season. He has not played in the last 2 games and one would have to wonder if he will ever help this team this season.

Which leads us to the most important 23 of all, Anthony Davis. Davis keeps impressing, even when he doesn't score, by completely dominating the game defensively.

Davis only had 4 points last night at Georgia, but he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 5 more shots to take his total to 96 for an average of 4.7 per game.

Davis' rankings in the SEC are as follows:

• 4th in total minutes played with 650
• 10th in points scored with 277
• 2nd if FG% with 62.9%
• 6th in FTs made and 3rd in attempts 67/94
• 1st in total rebounds with 217
• 2nd in RPG with 10.3
• 1st in defensive rebounds with 150
• 1st in defensive rebounds per game with 7.14
• 6th in steals with 32 and 8th in spg with 1.5
• 1st in blocks with 96 and bpg with 4.7

Is there anyone more valuable than Anthony Davis to any team in the country?

Can anyone argue that Anthony Davis is not the best UK player to ever play wearing 23?

Just don't forget the #23, it is a number every team knows when they play the University of Kentucky.