Current Commits: Skal Labissiere

Skal Labissiere

Position: PF/C

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 210 lbs.

School: Lausanne Collegiate School

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

 

-Big Man U: Coach John Calipari has always been known for coaching great point guards. Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and John Wall are a few of the great point guards to play for him. However, the job he has done coaching great big men throughout his career is rarely talked about. Marcus Camby, Demarcus Cousins, Terrence Jones, Nerlens Noel, Julius Randle, and maybe the best player in the NBA right now, Anthony Davis, have all been coached by Calipari. Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns will be in that prestigious group after they turn pro. When will the next great power forward or center come from Calipari’s coaching? Look no further than next season in the form of 6’10” PF/C, Skal Labissiere. There is never a guarantee with how good any recruit will be at the next level, but if Skal plays to even half of his potential then he will be as good as any big man that Calipari has coached. Watching him in high school, he looks Anthony Davis-esque in his abilities. He is a very lean and long 6’10”, has guard-like skills, and is a great shot blocker just like Davis. There is a good chance he will never be as good as Davis (Not many will be), but they play a very similar style. Only time will tell, but if he plays up to his potential you can expect Skal Labissiere to be the next great big man to play for John Calipari.

-Labissiere’s Recruitment: You know John Calipari must see something special in a player when he offers them a scholarship during their sophomore season of high school. This was the case for Skal Labissiere and he was also the first to receive an offer by Calipari in the 2015 class. After watching Skal almost record a triple-double, Calipari decided to offer him in person right after the game in November of 2012. Kentucky became the immediate favorite to land the 5-star recruit following the offer. As his recruitment proceeded, however, hometown Memphis and Coach Josh Pastner came on strong in pursuit of Skal. After a while when it seemed that Calipari slowed contact with Skal, Memphis then became the favorite in his recruitment. They were the assumed favorite right up until he was set to make his final decision on national television. It came as a surprise to a lot of people when Skal made the decision to commit to the University of Kentucky on ESPNU’s recruiting special on November 13, 2014. He chose Kentucky over hometown favorite Memphis, but also held several other Division 1 offers. He then chose to sign his National Letter of Intent the very next day and became the third player to sign for UK in the 2015 class.

-Rankings: Another year and another top 5 basketball recruit for UK and John Calipari. Skal Labissiere is widely considered the #1 center in the 2015 class and is top 5 overall in almost every recruiting service. He has always been considered a top prospect and has remained at the top despite injuring his back and having to sit out his entire junior year. This just shows the immense potential scouts see in Skal and they all expect him to be a big time college basketball player. Barring injury, the Big Blue Nation should expect the same next season.

Current Ranking:

ESPN- #3

Rivals- #4

247 Sports- Composite #3

Scout- #3

-Scouting Report:

Strengths:                                              Weaknesses:

1. Versatility                                           1. Low Post Moves

2. Rebounding                                        2. Strength

3. Shot blocking                                      3. Footwork

4. Athleticism for size

5. Intangibles

Jerry Meyer of 247 Sports said, “Skal Labissiere has an impressive skill set for a player with his length and mobility.”

-Bottom Line: In a similar mold to that of Anthony Davis, Skal Labissiere is an immensely talented PF/C. His all-around skill set is what makes him so valuable. He can face up a defender and nail a mid-range jump-shot, if you leave him open he will hit a three, and he can also post up and score in the paint. On defense he is a very talented shot blocker that will remind fans of Anthony Davis, Nerlens Noel, and Willie Cauley-Stein on that end of the floor. He definitely needs to get stronger as he is pretty thin, but that should come once he gets on campus and starts working out with Strength and Conditioning coach, Rock Oliver. Another area of improvement is low post foot work and post moves, but that will also come with coaching and experience. No matter where Skal would have gone to college there is no doubt that he would have been a big-time player. Bottom Line is that Skal Labissiere will be a very important piece for UK next fall and he will be counted on for scoring and shot blocking after the expected mass exodus of players to the NBA concluding this historic season.

-Random Fact: Skal Labissiere  is from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He moved to the United States in 2010 after surviving the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked most of the small country.

-Highlights:

 

-@JWheel_KSR