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Some background on Anthony Davis’ ascent to superstardom

Oscar Robertson, Anthony Davis

NBA great Oscar Robertson, left, presents Kentucky forward Anthony Davis, right, with the U. S. Basketball Writers Association NCAA college basketball player of the year award on Friday, March 30, 2012, in New Orleans, La. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

AP

By now you’re probably sick of hearing the story of Anthony Davis.

You can recite it by heart. A 6-foot-2 high school sophomore, Davis sprouted eight inches without losing any of his coordination, which changed him from a mediocre high school player to a once-in-a-decade caliber prospect.

But to get an idea of just how out-of-nowhere this was, take a look at some of the anecdotes from Kyle Tucker’s excellent feature on Davis’ rapid ascent:

- Davis attended Perspectives High School, a magnet school that put scraped together a team that was annually near the bottom of the Chicago talent pool. Perspectives didn’t even have their own gym. They had to take buses to practice and to home games, both of which were held at nearby schools.

- As a 6-foot-6 junior, Cleveland State was the first program to watch Davis play. When assistant coach Jayson Gee came to see him play, Perspectives wore jersey that didn’t match.

- Cleveland State ended up being the first program to offer Davis a scholarship, and he very nearly accepted it on the spot. His father told him to be patient, and that patience paid off with another four inches and a scholarship to Kentucky.

- Davis’ father is 6-foot-2. His mother is 5-foot-9. His twin sister (yes, he has a twin sister and no, she doesn’t have a unibrow) is 5-foot-6. The only member of his family that is abnormally tall is a 6-foot-8 cousin that played pro ball in Germany.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.