By: LARRY VAUGHT
When Texas A&M assistant coach Rick Stansbury watched Kentucky play at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, one thing jumped out at him about how Kentucky had changed from the team he saw in early January.
“(Karl-Anthony) Towns has become a man inside that paint. Offensively, when they need a basket he is a guy they have learned to go to when the game is on the line,” said Stansbury. “I have always said you better have a guy that you can throw the ball to at tournament time and he can go get a basket. You have to do that to win championships.
“They may have more than one guy who can do that, but Towns for sure offensively is the man. He is probably a little more skilled than those other Cats (inside). Those other Cats can score, but Towns puts pressure on you with that big body.”
Florida sophomore Chris Towns learned how good Towns is when he tried to defend him three times during the season.
“Top three pick in the draft says says how good he is. Honestly, to be that big and just to be that young and have a feel for the game like he does, it is crazy,” Walker said. “His IQ is phenomenal. He has post moves, he can pass the ball, he has a little mid-range jumper too.The man is a beast. That is all I can say.”
That beast has helped UK go 38-0 and earn a berth in the Final Four Saturday in Indianapolis against Wisconsin. Two more wins and UK would have a ninth national championship, the first unbeaten season in college basketball since 1976 and first 40-0 season in college basketball history.
“It means that we’re doing something right and we’ve been having a great season so far. We need to finish it out,” Towns said in Cleveland last week after scoring 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting against Notre Dame in the Elite Eight win. “We’re always worried about the next game and we’re always worried about what we gotta do to keep going up the ladder in the NCAA Tournament.”
Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne said earlier this season that Towns was mature beyond his years when he got to UK despite playing sparingly on the AAU circuit.
“I think the time he spent with the Dominican (National) team made up for the games. He played against better competition. But again, he was a child playing with grown men — professionals. They had another element of maturity,” Payne said. “Coming in here, he was with younger guys than he was with the Dominican team.
“I think that’s the biggest thing is just him being a young man and being comfortable in his own skin, being around other players, and the growth of it all. He’s grown a lot since he’s been here. He works hard. He’s a confident young man. He has big dreams. And he’s a talented kid.”
Payne said no matter how hard coach John Calipari pushes Towns, the player always takes it the right way.
“Out of all the kids, he’s probably made the easiest adjustment to it. He wants to please Cal. He wants to please all of us. He plays hard. He’s going to make mistakes. But we’ll have to live with what he’s doing right now,” Payne said. “He’s a talented, big, 6-11, 7-footer that really shoots the ball, that’s active. His body has changed since he’s walked in these doors.”
Kentucky assistant coach Barry Rohrssen says Towns has never wanted to stop learning.
“The more you give him, the more he absorbs. He's a sponge in that he wants to get better. He's always asking you stuff every day, each practice, from game to game, and that's one of the things about Karl that you just love to coach,” Rohrssen said.
Towns said it is not that confusing for him to accept coaching.
“We have to do everything we can to give the team energy and the best effort and play our best for all us. As brothers, we always think of each other. Coach Cal is just trying to push us and make sure we understand what we did so we don’t make that same mistake,” Towns said.
“He is just trying to help me and I know he wants the best for me. He is looking out for me and I know he loves me. It’s not about being mean or anything. He loves me so much that he just wants to make sure I am doing the best I can on the court. I have always grown up on the phrase if the coach is chewing you out the most, then he sees and expects a lot out of you. You should be worried when he is not yelling at you. I take it that he sees a lot in me.”