NEW YORK – Anthony Davis of the University of Kentucky appears sure to be taken by the New Orleans Hornets as first choice in NBA Draft, but the rest is a guessing game as to where the league's brightest talents land. The draft provides the life-blood of the league, and the 30 teams comb the US college system and leagues around the globe for the best young talent. Players figured to be near the top of the class of 2012 include Thomas Robinson, a forward from Kansas, and guards Bradley Beal from Florida and Damian Lillard from Weber State. The Charlotte Bobcats have the second pick of the draft, followed by the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings, provided trades do not alter the order. Last-minute deals often juggle the selection order, though there seems no suspense for New Orleans with Davis, the US college player of the year who was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player after Kentucky's NCAA Tournament triumph. “It's great,” the 6-foot-10 (2.08 meters) Davis told reporters Wednesday about looking forward to his big draft night. “It's what I've dreamed about my whole life.” Davis, an extraordinary shot-blocker in the process of learning to play the pivot position, has superior ball-handling skills since being accustomed to playing the backcourt. He stood just 6-ft-3 at the start of his junior year of high school before a growth spurt turned him into a big man. Davis, 19, is now comfortable in his skin, as well as comfortable with his uninterrupted eyebrow, or ‘unibrow' as it has been called. The striking facial feature became a focal point of fan adoration during the NCAA tournament, with ‘Fear the brow' T-shirts worn by the Wildcat faithful, leading his camp to apply for trademark rights to the phrase. “My parents and my agents told me it was done,” said Davis, referring to the trademark application. He has been likened to Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett and three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. — Reuters
