Kyle Tucker

@KyleTucker_CJ

UP NEXT: Kentucky vs. TBD, 6 p.m. Friday, Nashville, TV: SEC, Online: WatchESPN, Radio: WHAS-840

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Considering Kentucky managed to go 23-8 and win a share of the Southeastern Conference championship without much contribution from its frontcourt, how high would the Wildcats’ postseason ceiling get with a little help for their pair of newly minted All-American guards?

That’s the scary question college basketball coaches are left to ponder after 6-foot-11 freshman Skal Labissiere stormed back into the starting lineup and won a surprise SEC Freshman of the Week award for his resurgence against Florida and LSU to close out the regular season.

“If Kentucky’s front line can play with any consistency and play well, Kentucky can win it all,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, whose team upset the Cats on a day when Labissiere produced just four points and two rebounds. “When their frontcourt gets outplayed, that’s when they have gotten beat. Because their backcourt has rarely been outplayed all year long.

“So if their front line, including Skal or any other players, can deliver at a high level in postseason, Kentucky can win it all.”

Q&A | UK's Calipari: 'I love what I'm seeing'

Labissiere, a former top-two recruit nationally, had been a major disappointment for most of this season, averaging just 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks through his first 16 SEC games. But he somehow flipped a switch last week and went for 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks – hitting 13 of 20 shots, mostly jumpers – in easy victories over the Gators and Tigers.

“Obviously he makes our team better,” UK coach John Calipari said, “but I’m happy for him. I’ve seen that he’s finally bought into the process, and it takes time. We’ve had some guys that take years to buy in, and we’ve had some guys that take months to buy in and all of a sudden they explode.”

Outplaying LSU’s Ben Simmons, the likely No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft, as Labissiere did on Saturday, would seem to qualify as an explosion. So what does that mean for the Cats’ postseason potential?

They already have the best backcourt in college basketball – All-Americans Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray, with Isaiah Briscoe doing all the dirty work – but have been searching all season for a way to unlock the potential in a frontcourt full of former five-star recruits. Now maybe they have the answer.

“What Skal does for us, the biggest thing, is Marcus Lee is able to play to his strengths, which is his energy, his offensive rebounding, tip dunks, dunking balls, being around that goal,” Calipari said. “He’s not asked to do more. He’s asked to play right into his sweet spot, because Skal can do all the scoring and all the other things that you want that big man to do, especially shooting on the perimeter.”

With Labissiere doing those things Saturday, Lee went for 12 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive) in just 21 minutes. He went 6 of 7 from the field, including four ferocious dunks that energized both the crowd and the Cats.

Labissiere’s career-high six blocked shots in that game also ignited Kentucky.

“That’s one of the things we had last year: we had a lot of shot blockers,” senior forward Alex Poythress said. “That’s something we’ve been missing a little bit this year. If he can do that for us, it’s great. When he protects the rim, blocking shots like that, it jumpstarts our offense. We get in transition more. We start flying up and down the court more.”

Bottom line, Calipari said: Labissiere playing the way he did last week, the way everyone expected he would when he arrived on campus, means the other big men “aren’t asked to do things that would make them less than confident.”

UK's Ulis, Murray are All-Americans

In turn, that potentially makes the Wildcats a much bigger problem for opponents in next week’s NCAA tournament.

“Skal being plugged in,” Calipari said, “really kind of puts the pieces where they need to be.”

Labissiere produced no points and one rebound in two games against Vanderbilt this season. UK still won the first meeting comfortably and led by eight in the second half of the other before faltering on the road. If he’s that guy, the Cats’ postseason fate is wildly unpredictable.

But if he’s the guy who showed up out of nowhere last week?

“That changes Kentucky considerably,” Commodores assistant coach Tom Richardson said. “It gives them another offensive threat. Obviously Skal is coming into his own late in the season, and it makes a tremendous difference.”

Labissiere totaled six points and six rebounds in two games against Tennessee – each side won once – but Volunteers coach Rick Barnes said he could imagine the potential even then.

“He made a couple shots against us where you know it’s there. Just a matter of him getting it out and understanding what they’re trying to get done as a team,” Barnes said. “If he does, and they get going, I like their chances against anybody.”

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Email him atktucker@courier-journal.com.

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