Labissiere with work to do, anxious to be pushed

By LARRY VAUGHT



No matter how often he sees the lofty NBA draft projections for him even before he plays his first game at Kentucky, freshman center Skal Labissiere knows he’s not yet NBA ready.

“I know I have a lot of work to do. That is why I came here to be pushed every single day. I think I am in the right spot. I am trying to focus on getting better and getting my teammates better and just being a leader on the team,” said Labissiere.

Kentucky coach John Calipari said there is no questioning the skills the 7-foot Labissiere has. Instead, he says he has to learn to “fight” daily like Karl-Anthony Towns did last season when he developed into the No. 1 overall draft pick after UK’s 38-1 season.

Calipari also warns not to compare Labissiere to Anthony Davis, who led UK to the 2012 national title and is now considered one of the NBA’s best players.

“Anthony is a freak of nature,” Calipari said. “I want Skal to be the best he can be. But I am telling you he has a ways to go. He knows it and will be the first to tell you. He’s a great kid. He’s trying to find his way. For us to be what we can, he has to have a presence.

Calipari says not playing on a regular team last season — Labissiere was on a team put together by his guardian, Richard Hamilton, after he was ruled ineligible at a Memphis high school after transferring there for his senior year — did not help Labissiere.

“But there are just not 7-footers that have the skills he has. He has hooks. He can shoot it. He can pass it,” the UK coach said. “He just needs to be in game competition where he is going at other guys.”

Labissiere says he always had certain skills growing up in Haiti but refined those when he came to America to live with Richard Hamilton and his family in Memphis after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

“My high school coach did a good job of showing me fundamentals and what to do and not to do. I had good people around me to work with me. I just had to keep working and improving,” he said. “I know I have to work on being more physical. I am still trying to get stronger. I added 13 pounds this summer. I don’t have to get really bigger. I just have to get stronger.”

He also thinks he might be a better defensive player and shot blocker than many believe.

“I think at times my defense is underrated, but I still have to work on my defense and block more shots and rebound better. Have a better motor running the floor ,and I know I can do that,” he said.

He didn’t block many shots last year because he was on a team that lacked other marquee players and few teams went at him.

“Nobody came around me with the ball. Last year was a pretty interesting team. I had to play outside and do a lot more than usual, but it was good for me,” the UK freshman said. “We only played about 18 games (including two in Kentucky), but we played some of the the top teams in the country. I faced some teams with four or five Division I guys. I had to do a lot more for my team and that helped me work on my versatility and got me ready for the all-star circuit experience. I also got used to being double or even triple teamed.”

After his near-death experience in the earthquake and journey to America, Labissiere is grateful just to be playing and at Kentucky.

“The earthquake really changed my life. God has showed me a lot of favors to be in the position I am now. I just have to be thankul. I know life can change at any moment. I experienced it for myself. I just try to take it day by day and absorb everything going on good in my life,” Labissiere, who saw his father once during the season and again at graduation, said.

Labissiere says it was not easy to stay silent when critics blasted Hamilton and questioned whether Labissiere would even be eligible to play this year.

“I knew things people were saying and writing were not true. I just kept doing what I had to do,” Labissiere said. “They are going to try and come up to a lot of my games. I love their family. His daughter is 16 and is like my sister. They have been nothing but great to me.”

He already feels the same about UK fans and his teammates.

“I really have not got to see the craziness yet. I have seen some, but not all of it. I think I will like it,” Labissiere laughed and said. “If fans interact wth me, I will respond. I am very outgoing and very thankful of the position I am in. Many people wish they were in this position, so I try to take advantage of it.

“This year we have a great group of guys on the team. Obviously everybody is good and has been an all-American. We are just trying to make each other better and be competitive. It has really be fun and hopefully will be a lot more fun.”