Kentucky Basketball: Top-20 talent Daimion Collins commits to Wildcats

Kentucky Basketball continues its recruiting success with the commitment of 5-star forward Daimion Collins. What does this mean for the Wildcats?

What a month it’s been for Kentucky Basketball! On October 1, it was all anxiety for Wildcats fans. Kentucky had just one player, Nolan Hickman, in its 2021 recruiting class. The SEC was dragging its feet on transfer eligibility for Jacob Toppin and Olivier Sarr. Uncertainty about the schedule, charged by a global pandemic, only added to the stress.

Fast forward 30 days, and the sun is shining much brighter on Kentucky’s basketball home.

The scheduling situation is much better; Kentucky has planned some premier games, including showdowns with UCLA and Louisville. The Louisville rivalry is alive and well due to some friendly chirping between coaches. Toppin and Sarr have been cleared to play, elevating Kentucky’s status to a top-tier national championship contender. Kentucky added commitments from two more recruits, Skyy Clark and Bryce Hopkins. And, just minutes ago, they topped it off with another commit: five-star forward, Damion Collins.

Collins is a huge get for Kentucky, as he brings a unique skill set and could potentially be the Wildcats’ next great rim protector. Collins’ commitment comes exactly two months after Jai Lucas joined Kentucky’s coaching staff. This is no coincidence, either. In his previous post at Texas, Lucas heavily recruited Collins (a Texas native). Jai Lucas is awesome.

Due to Kentucky’s frequent roster turnover, fans have less time to get to know the players. This means it’s never too early to start learning about next year’s group.

So, whose game does Collins’ match? According to John Calipari, it’s Anthony Davis. Does this mean Collins will also have the greatest individual season in college basketball history?**

**Naismith POY, National Defensive POY, National Freshman of the Year, NCAA Champion, #1 overall draft pick, Olympic Champion

Probably not. But Collins and Davis share several traits.

The most obvious similarity is the 6’10”, 200 lbs. frame that Davis also had at Collins’ age. They move the same – the agility, the strides, the acceleration. Collins possesses uncommon spatial awareness for someone that young and that big. The big man is also an elite shot-blocker with arms that can reach into the rafters. His jumps are well-controlled and he keeps his blocked shots in play, which helps his team’s transition game.

Offensively, Collins has touch around the basket that will remind fans of a young Anthony Davis. He’s not going to bully anybody down low, but his ability to elevate and shoot over defenders will help compensate. From the outside, Collins is a dangerous shooter whose form mirrors that of Davis. His jumper looks natural, and unlike many of his big man counterparts, he gets well off the ground when he shoots.

The Anthony Davis comparison makes sense at a high level. Just don’t take it at face value. We shouldn’t expect him to win every accolade. We have no way of knowing whether Collins will grow two more inches after college, transform his body into a basketball Godzilla, and become the best big man in the world. It’s not fair to call anyone the next Anthony Davis.

Taking the comparison game down a notch, Collins looks much like former Oregon star, Chris Boucher.

In college, Boucher was primarily a shot blocker and rim runner with a respectable three-point shot. Developing these traits helped Boucher carve out a niche in the NBA, as he helped the Toronto Raptors win the 2019 NBA Championship. With the direction the NBA is heading – alien-like athleticism and positionless basketball – there will be more demand for the Chris Boucher archetype. Collins fits that mold.

Another comparison comes from Ant Wright, who likens Collins to former Michigan State center Adreian Payne. Watch some footage of both players and you’ll see similarities in their post presence.

While frontcourt prospects can be extremely difficult to project, it’s hard not to get excited about the potential that Collins brings. He blocks shots that no human should be able to reach. He has dunks where he stands eight feet from the basket and jumps straight up, smashing the ball through the hoop like a 2nd-grader playing whack-a-mole.

Most importantly, Collins seems like a high-character kid who has earned this opportunity. Good for Daimion Collins – and a heck of a way for Kentucky to close out October.