BBN Jam Elite Eight: (2012) Davis & MKG vs. (2014) Randle & Harrison

The final week of KSR’s BBN Jam Tournament begins with a battle between John Calipari’s dominant National Championship winners and a group that made an improbable run to the title game.

Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were a powerful 1-2 punch that did just about everything well, everything except shoot the three-ball.  An exceptional defensive combination, they forced turnovers and quickly turned them into dunks. Watching the 2012 Wildcats run the court was a sight to behold.

Their 2014 foes entered the season with even more hype than the National Champs. The team’s production did not meet the preseason hype until the postseason. The Wildcats made a run to the SEC Title game and had a shot to beat the Florida Gators — who also reached the Final Four — when James Young slipped up on the final play. After that misstep, Aaron Harrison got the ball in the waning seconds of each close game and the most of every big moment.

TALE OF THE TAPE

You won’t find many more productive Wildcats in the frontcourt than Randle and Davis. They each were successful in different ways. Davis had extraordinary length, while Randle relied on his strength. This battle is one we could not see while they were at UK but did occur often last year when the two were teammates for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In the backcourt, MKG would give Aaron Harrison fits. Harrison was never an above average ball-handler. A catch-and-shoot two-guard, Kidd-Gilchrist would force Harrison into uncomfortable situations. On the flip side, MKG is not a great ball-handler either. Deciphering who exactly would have the upper hand in this matchup is not easy.

Who has the upper hand in the Unibrow Regional Final, the No. 1 overall seed or the Cinderella story Aaron Harrison’s great story?