NBA teams
Jeff Goodman, ESPN Insider 7y

Former Wildcat DeMarcus Cousins praises Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox

Men's College Basketball, Men Basketball Recruiting, Kentucky Wildcats

SACRAMENTO -- Former Kentucky big man and current Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins compared this year's Wildcats freshman backcourt of Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox favorably to the duo he played with in college, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe.

"The way they play together is like watching John and Eric, all over again," Cousins said Friday.

"Individually, no," Cousins added whether Monk and Fox are better. "Together? I think they are. They play with great chemistry."

Monk leads Kentucky in scoring at 22.6 points per game. He is also shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. Fox is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game. He is also averaging 6.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Wall averaged 16.6 points, 6.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 2009-10, while Bledsoe averaged 11.3 points -- playing mostly off the ball -- and shot 38 percent from beyond the arc. That 2010 team lost in the Elite Eight to West Virginia.

Cousins said that he sees a lot of Cleveland Cavs guard J.R. Smith in Monk -- due to his combination of athleticism, and also the ability to shoot it from deep.

^ Back to Top ^