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Grantland Compares Anthony Davis to Jared Sullinger

Grantland (which is one of the best college bball sites out there, FYI) has a piece comparing Anthony Davis to Jared Sullinger (and Thomas Robinson, whoever that is). AS Grantland is known for, the article goes in depth on the player’s statistical performance as well as personalities, and Davis proves to be the man at nearly every juncture.

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Georgia][I]…It’s still Davis, all the way, with Sullinger slightly ahead of Robinson. To be totally fair, the one stat where Sullinger and Robinson exceed Davis is defensive rebounding percentage. But in every other category, the freshman tops them all, including less prominent categories like assists, steals, and turnover rate.
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Georgia][I]While their games are similar, there appears to be a wide chasm between Davis and Sullinger’s personalities. Few current players inspire the love-him-or-hate-him dichotomy like Sullinger. He’ll [URL=”http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jared-sullinger.jpg”]scream after a dunk[/URL], [URL=”https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTtuTUzgpJ9CozDyUdkxWlbTgO8p8CCn8Ctw14vYsMIRfVnsmgwA”]show his displeasure[/URL] at a bad call, or stare down an opponent after a hard block. His style is theatrical, and when you close your eyes and try to picture him, he’ll likely be [URL=”http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2012/0204/dm_120204_ncb_ohiostate_new.jpg”]wearing a cocky grin[/URL] and nodding his head. It’s a big reason why Barlow’s dunk was so enjoyable in some corners Tuesday night; Sullinger is a savvy master of the court. In contrast, Davis plays quiet. There’s an innocence, maybe even a sweetness about him that’s impossible not to like. [URL=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHpADPFHII”]His interviews[/URL] cement the impression. You get the sense that he’s humble and less complex than someone like Sullinger, and it would have been hard to revel in his embarrassment if Barlow had dunked in Lexington.
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[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Georgia][I]Both players are intensely competitive, but only one has distinguished himself in the big moments this season. While Sullinger was battling Plumlee to a draw, or missing the Kansas game with an injury, or making just [URL=”http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=313650084″]three field goals in a loss to Indiana[/URL], or enduring a dry spell against Purdue, Davis was [URL=”http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313192305″]outplaying Robinson in a win at Kansas[/URL], blocking [URL=”http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313370096″]John Henson’s jumper to clinch a home game against Carolina[/URL], hitting [URL=”http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313650096″]12 of 13 foul shots and notching a double-double on the road against Louisville[/URL], and dominating against no. 7 Florida so thoroughly that Billy Donovan’s Gators never had a shot.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]
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Tuesday’s contests followed the script. While Davis buried Florida, Sullinger’s long absence let a feisty Purdue team stay in the game with hot shooting. It took seven straight points from William Buford, with Sullinger cheering from the bench, to give the Buckeyes the breathing room they needed to seal a three-point win.[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]

For the rest of the illuminating article, click [URL=”http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/16674/a-tale-of-two-stars-anthony-davis-and-jared-sullinger”]here[/URL].

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