More different than normal, Willie Cauley-Stein plans to be 'elite' right away

Jeff Zillgitt | USA TODAY Sports

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Willie Cauley-Stein knows the reputation that is out there. He believes it's a misperception.

Just because he's into fashion, music and other arts and wants to take piano lessons, "People think I'm wacky, like I'm not focused," Cauley-Stein told USA TODAY Sports.

Instead, he says, look at his individuality as a good thing.

"I'm not your cookie cutter athlete and that scares people. People don't know how to take that," he said. "I'm not your average athlete. I'm good at other things. I'm not just a basketball player. I'm multi-talented. I take it to heart when people say I'm not focused or I don't love the game.

"I love the game, but I'm not going to play the game for the rest of my life so you need something else you're good at, another passion. You have to be well-rounded or else you're going to burn out and you'll lose passion for what you're doing."

Cauley-Stein, who left Kentucky for the NBA after his junior season, is a projected late lottery pick — somewhere in the 8-14 range — and is expected to be one of four Kentucky players selected in the first round.

NBA teams are smitten with his defensive skill set. At 7-0, he is considered a premier defender in the same vein as Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler. He is a center who can protect the rim and defend the pick-and-roll, including the ballhandler, with his size and speed.

"I'm an elite defender," Cauley-Stein said. "I've got a lot of gifts and you can't teach and that makes me a high asset."

In Kentucky's regional finals victory against Notre Dame, Cauley-Stein blocked Jerian Grant's three-point attempt with 36 seconds left in the game and then hounded Grant full court on the game's final play, forcing Grant to take a tough, contested shot from the corner.

Even before those plays, NBA executives were enamored with his defense. "His shot-blocking and rim-protecting, we all know about that," NBA TV and Turner Sports college basketball analyst Grant Hill said. "Kentucky switched a lot on defense, and they did that because they trusted that their bigs could guard perimeter players. Willie Cauley-Stein, with his instincts and ability to defend every position and his desire, is what I love about him."

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The concern is Cauley-Stein's offense. He averaged 8.9 points and shot 57.2% from field for the Wildcats, but he wasn't asked to score a lot because they were so deep and talented. He can finish at the rim, especially on alley-oops in the pick-and-roll and fastbreaks, but he needs improvement on his midrange and post-up game.

"All those things I see in my game," he said. "It's just a matter of putting in the hours to be an elite athlete."

NBA scouts believe he has the tools. It's also a matter of Cauley-Stein believing in himself.

"The only problem that I had in my younger years and in college was not knowing if I had the confidence on the offensive side to just take over," he said. "Now, I feel like I'm getting that. Now, I know I'm good. I know what I bring to the table.

"I put in a lot of time on my offensive game and I just put in a lot of hours of work. If you're going to put in a lot of time, you're going to gain confidence. If I write a lot of papers, I'm going to get really good at writing."

Hill watched enough of Cauley-Stein to notice his shot mechanics were good enough that "he can develop that 10-15-foot jump shot. He has that kind of potential."

Wherever Cauley-Stein ends up, that team will get a player committed to basketball, off-the-court hobbies and helping in the community.

"The opportunity I have is bigger than basketball," Cauley-Stein said. "We have a chance to change people's lives. We have a voice and people listen. I have an opportunity to deliver a message to kids. I'm really passionate about helping kids out, giving people an optimistic outlook on life."