Potential No. 1 pick Skal Labissiere impresses during Kentucky practice

Very few college basketball programs could host a practice live on ESPNU and draw scouts from all 30 NBA teams. Kentucky is one of those programs, and on Sunday night the Wildcats broadcasted their “combine” for the world to see.

Kentucky has produced a top two recruiting class every year that John Calipari has been at the school, according to 247Sports rankings. Many of the program’s top recruits are NBA prospects and Calipari’s genius marketing idea gives them the opportunity to show off early in the process. This season, with the Wildcats’ recruiting class being led by 19-year-old Skal Labissiere, is no different. Although he has yet to be cleared by the NCAA due to potential amateurism issues, the Haitian native is projected as the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the likes of DraftExpress.

Labissiere has a lot to prove between now and June 23, sure, but he showed some of the offensive potential that has NBA teams salivating during 3-on-3 drills and 5-on-5 scrimmaging on Sunday. He’s already developed nice mechanics on a mid-range jump shot that should provide the Wildcats with some spacing and give them more options in pick-and-roll situations. It’s a skill that can help an NBA player go from good to great, too.

Skal also played with maturity in the post. If he gets the ball close to the basket, he’s looking to dunk on his defender. If not, he has a nice set of post moves to score in other ways. He’ll need to put on more muscle to become stronger on the block, but that should come with age. According to UK’s Pro Day measurements, he’s already put on nine pounds in Lexington. Helping him bridge the gap, though, is his ability to stay levelheaded against double teams. 3-versus-3 drills give you a chance to see how the player will work in situations without set pieces. At one point, Labissiere was doubled in the post, took a few dribbles to control himself and shot a pass out to his teammate at the 3-point line for an open look.

Perhaps the most impressive moment of the night was when Labissiere showed off some of his ball-handling and agility. After receiving the ball at the top of the key, Labissiere drove with his dominant hand, hit a spin move going the opposite direction and finished over his defender with an off-hand hook shot.

Defensively, Labissiere obviously brings length that not a ton of guys in college basketball have. He measured nearly a full 7-feet tall in shoes with a 7-2 wingspan. The length should make him a good rim protector at the collegiate level, but he’ll need to work on some kinks to become truly effective. Skal heard the whistle from the practice referees on a few occasions and it was often due to his tendency to swing his arm downward when going for the block. The volleyball technique is a common habit — it creates some awesome looking blocks — but it’s not an effective strategy since it often leads to fouls.

The last skill I noticed was Labissiere’s pick-and-roll defense. As the NBA moves towards more P&R actions, it’s important for bigs to be able to defend them well. Skal was at his most comfortable when he was able to slide into the lane, blocking it off from penetration while holding the roll man behind him. This strategy could be exploited by a guard with a quality mid-range jumper, but in general it was effective during practice. On at least one occasion, Labissiere struggled when his man stayed out in a pick-and-pop spot, and youngster Isaac Humphries was able to knock down the open look.

Defensive stumbling blocks are to be expected for the majority of high school recruits. As the season progresses, Labissiere could develop into a defensive anchor for the Wildcats. Offensively, he showcases the tools necessary to build a well-rounded post game along with a nice mid-range jumper and ability to beat recovering defenders.

In short, he showed many of the things the NBA scouts came to see.