Is this Kentucky team at the same level as the 2012 national championship team

So how good are these Kentucky Wildcats? Are they National Championship good? The 2012 Wildcats were the only team that John Calipari has led to a confetti-filled season-ending win since his arrival at Kentucky in 2009. I am thinking that these current Wildcats might compare pretty favorably to those National Championship Cats from 2012, so let’s take a look. 

That 2012 team had a very short playing rotation. It consisted of seven key players playing 10 minutes or more per game. That group included freshman Anthony Davis in the post, sophomore Terrence Jones and freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist playing the traditional forward spots and sophomore Doron Lamb playing the shooting guard spot with freshman Marquis Teague handling the point guard duties. Kentucky native and senior Darius Miller was the sixth man and provided some additional 3-point shooting along with experience and a physical presence at a guard spot. Kyle Wiltjer was the seventh man averaging about 11 minutes a game playing one of the forward spots. The Cats also got a few fill-in minutes a game from 6-11 senior Eloy Vargas in relief of Anthony Davis at the center spot. 

All of the starters averaged in double figures led by Anthony Davis’ 14.2 points per game to go with 10.4 rebounds per game. Davis also averaged almost five blocks per game. Doron Lamb was the 3-point sharpshooter for that team averaging almost 14 points per game while shooting almost 47% from beyond the arc. Jones, Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague all chipped in between 10-12 points per game. Darius Miller as the sixth man played 26 minutes per game and averaged 9.9 points shooting almost 38 percent from 3-point range. Kyle Wilter was also an accomplished 3-point shooter as a fill-in for a few minutes a game. 

Now if all that sounds familiar it should. When you think about Anthony Davis, think Oscar Tshiewbe. Davis was a once-in-a-generation player as is Tshiewbe. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying in any way that they play similar basketball but only that both are dominant players and provide similar results for their team. Tshiewbe is averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds per game. Those are eye popping numbers for UK’s 6-9 center.

Both players are also always active on both ends of the floor; playing defense, rebounding and getting out on the break for a dunk or lob at the offensive end of the floor. Davis was by far the better defender but Tshiewbe is very sneaky in his ability to body opponents around the basket and overplay the passing lanes for deflections and steals. Both players are the pivotal piece of their respective teams. 

Next would be a comparison between Terrence Jones and Keion Brooks. Although Jones was slightly taller at 6-9 both players played a physical brand of basketball, could get out on the fast break and had ups and downs early in their career only to settle in and begin to play consistent basketball later in the season. Both also had a very good mid-range game. Jones averaged 12 points per game on 50 percent shooting while grabbing seven rebounds a game. That compares very favorably to Brooks’ 12 points per game on 50 percent shooting to go with five rebounds per game. 

Next, I would say that Doron Lamb and Kellan Grady are very similar players. Grady might be slightly more athletic, both are average defenders that use body position to play better defense but both are also phenomenal long-range shooters. Lamb averaged 14 points per game on 47 percent shooting from 3-point range while “Grandpa” Grady is averaging 12 points per game hitting 44 percent of his 3-point shots.

Both players hit big-time shots in big-time games to help the Cats reach their potential and both could always be counted on to knock down a shot if an opponent was foolish enough to leave them open on the wing or in the corner. 

As point guards go one at first glance may not think that Marquis Teague and Savhir Wheeler are a good comparison but if one were to look at the role each provided to their respective teams the comparison is pretty spot on. Teague scored 10 points per game and averaged almost five assists per game as a floor general and pass-first point guard. He was instrumental in getting the 2012 team quickly up the floor on the fast break.

Wheeler does exactly the same thing. He is a good dribble penetrator, as was Teague, and he’s averaging 10 points per game and slightly more than seven assists per game. Both players are key factors in running the offense for their respective teams and although Wheeler is more disruptive on the defensive end of the floor Teague was a more than adequate defender as a 6-2 point guard. 

Now here’s where it gets a little tricky. Because the 2012 team played two true forwards it’s a little bit difficult initially to compare Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kyle Wiltjer, and Darius Miller to TyTy Washington, Jacob Toppin, and Davion Mintz unless one looks more deeply at the roles that each player performs. 

Kidd-Gilchrist was a “jack of all trades” player that rebounded, scored around the basket, and could guard multiple positions. TyTy Washington is more of a “create your own shot” guy who plays excellent offense and has all the skills to be a lockdown defender. Both are 100 percent hustle players that are willing to do what it takes to win games. Kidd-Gilchrist was a better defender and rebounder and Washington is a better pure scorer and assist man but both performed as critical cogs in the team machinery and are sorely missed when they are out of the game. 

Another comparison that doesn’t jump out at first is Kyle Wiltjer vs Jacob Toppin. These are two totally opposite type players. Wiltjer was a 6-9 player that liked to stay on the perimeter, had slow foot speed and didn’t like the physical contact of post play. He was mostly a player that could come in and give a few minutes of relief to the starting forwards while occasionally providing instant offense.

Toppin, is super athletic, can jump out of the gym, and can be a very good defender of multiple positions. The thing that both players could do for their teams is giving some relief time to the starters without having a huge drop-off on offense or defense. Toppin can turn a game around with his offense and defense whereas Wiltjer was more of an instant offense player, mostly from the 3-point line. 

Next to last is the comparison between Darius Miller and Davion Mintz. Both these players are the glue guys. Players with experience that have paid their dues and bring a steadying influence to the whole team. Both are good 3-point shooters and both guys were sixth man-type players that could bring instant offense via the outside shot, did the dirty work when necessary and most of all brought a winning attitude to their teams.

Both had tons of basketball experience — Miller as a senior having played in 152 games and Mintz as a super senior who will have played in an equal number of games by the end of his final season. Both bring intangible qualities to any team that can’t really be measured on a stat sheet.

Last but not least is the bench. For the 2012 team that pretty much consisted of 6-11 Eloy Vargas as a fill in for Anthony Davis for a few minutes a game. Other players that saw mostly mop-up duty were guards Jarrod Polson and Twany Beckham. 

This current Wildcat team has a big advantage here and this is an area that could continue to develop and pay dividends as the season winds down. This UK team has a much better backup situation in the post than the 2912 team had. Lance Ware has begun to provide consistent minutes in relief of Oscar Tshiewbe and although he plays sparingly (6 minutes per game) his presence on the floor when Tshiewbe takes a break or is in foul trouble can be invaluable to this team come tournament time.

Daimion Collins is a 6-9 jumping jack that has shown he can also be a game-changer at times due to his athleticism. Bryce Hopkins has shown his impressive athleticism also but is sorely lacking experience at this point. Shooting guard Dontaie Allen is probably the most enigmatic player on the team. He is an excellent shooter, can rebound if needed, and showed that he can also provide some inside play with a monster follow up dunk off a rebound a few games ago. He has provided some relief minutes at times that were very helpful and could still be a valuable asset down the closing stretch of the season.  

So there you have it. The 2012 team was a dominant basketball team that finished the season 16-0 in the SEC and 38-2 overall. One thing to keep in mind though is the SEC is a much different league now than it was in 2012. The competition level throughout the league has improved due to better overall coaching and an upgrade in talent across the board. 

This current Kentucky team has all the pieces necessary to win it all. The only piece that can never be predicted is NCAA Tournament matchups and injuries. If these Wildcats get a 1 or 2 seed and get a couple of favorable matchups in the beginning they could build some momentum and win it all but if they suffer any type of injuries to key players that sidelined them for a couple of games or more that might be too much to overcome with such a short bench. 

Time will tell if this team ends up being one of the most successful teams in UK history (that would require a banner hanging from the Rupp Arena rafters) but they are already one of the greatest teams in the hearts of UK fans everywhere because of their love for the Big Blue Nation and their never-say-die attitude. No matter what the future holds , championship or not, nothing can take that away.