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Is Trey Lyles the Most Underrated Player on the Wildcats roster?

By Danielle

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While Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns seem to just go about their business, Trey Lyles just finds a way to get it done.

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“Maybe by you people, but no one that evaluates basketball,” Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari told the media during his press conference following the win over Mississippi State. “They know how good he is. They know what he’s preparing for. I mean, he’s being trained as a three. He’s a 6-10 three/four and he’s being trained as a three. All I want him to do is shoot more balls. Can you imagine? Your coach is saying to one of you (Andrew Harrison): ‘Attack on every possession; when you throw it ahead, it comes back, attack. Get in the lane.’ That’s one guy. You got another guy (Lyles) you’re telling, ‘If you catch a 15-footer, shoot it. Shoot. You need to score more for this team.’ So it isn’t like we’re trying to handcuff guys: ‘Only you two shoot and the rest of you set screens and dive on the floor and take charges, ahhhhhhhh.’ No, we want you all to play. We want everybody to be the best version of themselves.”

Calipari also went into talking about Lyles’ skill set for his size.

“Crazy,” Calipari said. “It’s crazy. But I want him to dominate. I want – see, he began this game and I thought he was going to. He missed that one over-the-top layup. Like, dunk the ball. Just turn your hand that way (from under to over) and dunk it. Your elbow was above the rim. But my thing to him is: ‘Dominate. Dominate, rebounding around the rim, one-dribble pull-ups, guard, block shots, do everything. You’re capable of doing it.’ But I’m going to say it again: It’s really hard to play that way. Whew. ‘Can I just make a play – I’ll make a play every fourth time down the floor? Like, I’ll do something crazy and they’ll all look and say, “Wow, he’s playing good.” ‘ No, we play every possession, and that’s what makes it hard for these kids. But they’re – we got great kids. I mean, they’re allowing this to happen. They’re allowing us to coach them. I keep telling them, ‘You can’t read the stuff. Don’t listen. Don’t listen to anybody else tell you how to play. Please. You’re on this path, playing well. Just play the way we need you to play.'”

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