SB Nation looks at the Kentucky Basketball frontcourt and compares them to the dominate Florida teams in the mid-2000s.
They compare Willie Cauley-Stein to Joakim Noah and Karl-Anthony Towns to Al Horford.
Cauley-Stein is Noah. He could have turned pro and been a lottery pick last year, but he chose to come back to school to have fun and win a title. Much like Noah, Cauley-Stein often gives off the impression that he marches to the beat of his own drum.
Cauley-Stein might not have Noah’s passing ability yet, but other than that they’re pretty similar. Both are incredible athletes who made a name for themselves defensively. Both are capable of guarding small players, like Noah has done in the NBA corralling pick-and-roll ball handlers and like Cauley-Stein has done this season at Kentucky, switching onto everyone from point guards to small forwards without hesitation.
Towns essentially grew up idolizing Horford. Both have Dominican bloodlines. As a 16-year-old, Towns played on the DR’s Olympic qualifying team alongside Horford.
“Al Horford taught me everything he knows,” Towns said. “How to play more physical. How to be a smarter player. How to set picks that are more effective. That’s the biggest thing.”
Read “Good luck doing anything against Kentucky’s frontcourt” by clicking here.
Do you like the comparison?
Who would you compare the front court with?
