Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky vs. Devin Williams, West Virginia (Thursday, 6:45 PM PT)
Kentucky is the juggernaut that everyone is trying to take down, but to do that you have to get through the trees, and the biggest is Cauley-Stein, the draft’s best defender. Cauley-Stein is one of the most athletic seven-footers college basketball has ever seen, capable of guarding nearly every position and tossing away any shot that comes close to the rim.
Cauley-Stein still may not strong enough to bang with the true big men at the NBA level, which is what makes the matchup with Williams such an interesting one.
Williams is rough, physical, and built like a defensive lineman. Hardly anyone will be able to shoot over Cauley-Stein, but Williams is exactly the type of person capable of going through him. Bob Huggins is known for having physical teams and while West Virginia is sure to test Kentucky at every position, it is Williams who could provide the biggest test down low.
Cauley-Stein could be the second coming of DeAndre Jordan, but he can still be overpowered at this point. Guys like Williams still give him struggles and scouts will be watching to see how he handles this match.