How Trey Lyles' Absence Affects the Kentucky Wildcats

Trey Lyles has been missing in action for two weeks, the latest in a string of minor hurdles that unbeaten Kentucky has had to navigate during its unbeaten run. Then he was just flat-out missing for a bit.

The 6'11" freshman forward could miss Tuesday's game at LSU due to an illness, which would be his fourth straight absence after being such a key cog in the first 20 games of the Wildcats' pursuit of perfection. Without him, Kentucky's previously daunting frontcourt depth hasn't loomed as large, and it's had to make due without one of the team's most versatile players.

After Lyles was cleared to practice in a limited role Monday, according to The Courier-Journal's Steve Jones, Kentucky coach John Calipari didn't know for certain if Lyles would be available in Baton Rouge. Then he took to Twitter to make the situation more cryptic:

Calipari later cleared up the situation:

Regardless of the coach's shenanigans, No. 1 Kentucky (23-0, 10-0 SEC) is two wins away from matching the best start in school history, and while it's won these last three without Lyles by an average of 11 points, the margin has dropped each occasion. Last time out, the Wildcats escaped with a 68-61 win at Florida, arguably their most difficult test since the first week of conference play.

LSU could prove even more challenging, especially if the talented yet underachieving Tigers (17-6, 6-4) play up to their potential for a change, which hasn't always been the case this season. LSU has won at Florida, Ole Miss and LSU but also lost at home to rebuilding Auburn and dropped a road game against SEC doormat Missouri.

"LSU plays excellent interior defense, and to this point in SEC play, the Wildcats' production in the paint has been good but not great," wrote ESPN's John Gasaway.

Despite the inconsistent play, the Tigers are one of the few teams that can line up their frontcourt with Kentucky and not be massively outmatched, especially without Lyles in the mix. Sophomores Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey are 6'10" and 6'8" respectively, and last year they combined for 23 points, nine rebounds and eight blocks in a win over Kentucky in Baton Rouge.

Without Lyles, the variety is gone. It's two forwards and three guards almost exclusively, and though none of the most used players have seen their minutes go up that much, it's still been significant because of how little they'd played during the first 20 games.

Kentucky's platoon system has been whittled down to something far closer to what most other teams have at their disposal. Alex Poythress' season-ending knee injury began this attrition, but the loss of Lyles has factored in far greater.

Average	22.5	26.8	19.1
Player	Min./game before Lyles' illness	Min./game since Lyles' illness	Pct. increase
Devin Booker	20.8	24.0	15.4
Willie Cauley-Stein	24.8	30.0	21.0
Aaron Harrison	25.6	28.7	12.1
Andrew Harrison	23.9	27.7	15.9
Karl-Anthony Towns	19.3	25.7	33.2
Tyler Ulis	20.7	29.7	43.5

Now, there are just four frontcourt players in the 10-player rotation, and the quality drops off quickly after the starters. When Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns need a break, there are only Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson to turn to. Last time out they both struggled, playing a total of 18 minutes and going scoreless, and Calipari seems reluctant to use them beyond that.

Lyles was averaging 21.7 minutes per game, and while his 7.5 points per contest only tie for sixth-best on the team, it was what he provided beyond points that's being missed. One of four players averaging more than five rebounds, Lyles also showed great passing and ball-handling skills and wasn't a defensive liability.

"He brings you a 6'10" skilled player that can be a matchup issue for the other team, because he can play 3, he can play 4," Kentucky assistant coach John Robic told reporters Monday, per Steve Jones of The Courier-Journal.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Kentucky's depth has provided it with a safety-in-numbers scenario, with Calipari having the luxury of pulling or benching a player if he doesn't show effort or make his marks. Lyles' absence has robbed him of this valuable coaching tool, as he's had to ride out rough patches from some players instead of only keeping in the hot hands and rotating in supplements for slackers.

Despite Calipari's love for the Harrison twins, had Andrew Harrison gone 24 minutes without taking a shot (a first in his two college seasons) a game after Aaron Harrison missed all four of his shots, they'd have both been at risk of some major pine time if Lyles was available. That's because Lyles, though a forward, has the skills to play nearly every position.

The fact that Lyles is showing some progress is a huge positive for Kentucky, especially as it moves forward. Beyond the historic nature of going unbeaten, the real goals have to do with the games in March, and his impending return will allow the Wildcats to return to their old spread-the-minutes approach that will make them the freshest, deepest and most difficult team to face in the NCAA tournament.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.