By David Schuh | Men’s basketball columnist

[email protected]

UK forward Julius Randle has drawn many comparisons throughout his first year in college basketball.

Most of them are to NBA players. But his closest comparison happens to be a former Cat as well.

Terrence Jones, now with the Houston Rockets, played two seasons in Lexington from 2010-12. His first season played out much like Randle’s first.

The stats are similar, but how they were reached is not.

Randle is more of a traditional “power” forward. He gets the majority of his points in the paint and from the free-throw line.

Jones, on other hand, arrived at UK with an expanded skill set. He was efficient on the perimeter, playing in transition and from outside the 3-point line.

But it isn’t so much about their methods as much as their individual value to their team.

They played on similar teams, ones that began with high expectations yet struggled to win close games for much of the year.

Similarities begin with their versatility. Both players can guard multiple positions. As athletic combo forwards, Jones and Randle excel in pick-and-roll defense, which masks defensive mistakes at other positions.

And despite the perception that Jones checked out for games at a time in his UK career, he was actually quite consistent during his freshman year. In games against SEC opponents, he averaged 0.2 points more and matched his rebound-per-game season average.

In losses, Jones averaged 2.0 points and 0.1 rebounds more than his season average.

Regardless of the games you isolate, Jones excelled at a consistent rate.

And to match, Randle’s freshman season is comparable.

In SEC games, Randle is averaging 2.1 points and 0.1 rebounds less than his season average.

Likewise, in losing games, Randle is averaging 0.9 points and 0.02 rebounds less than his season average.

Again, much like Jones, Randle’s statistics waver little in any way they are split.

Randle will be viewed as a better pro prospect than Jones was. He plays harder for longer stretches, giving a perception that he will have a more consistent pro career.

Jones, though, has excelled in the NBA. With 49 starts in 54 games this season, he is averaging 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He immediately showed how his versatility in college translated to the next level.

Randle will be the same way. In the next few years, his outside jumper will get smoother.

And when he parlays that with such a strong inside presence, he will become a skilled NBA forward.

But at UK, the two players mirrored each other in many ways.

And as talented freshmen on young, inconsistent teams, they were both stabilizing forces that produced each and every night.

And if Randle is lucky, that production will allow his freshman season to last as long as Jones’ did.

Follow @KernelSchuh