Kentucky Basketball: 5 Things We Learned During Wildcats' Nonconference Play

Kentucky still has two difficult nonconference games on the schedule, but we have learned quite a bit about this team in the first six weeks of the college basketball season.

After a bad loss to Ohio State, the Wildcats are now just 9-2 on the season and outside the Top 10 in both major polls. This is certainly a disappointment for a program expecting to contend for a national championship every season.

Of course, this is still a good team despite a few bad performances. Kentucky has a win over Duke as well as a dominant showing over a quality Arizona State team, showing there is plenty of ability on hand.

It's also difficult to deny the raw talent on the roster.

There is still a long season ahead of us, but here is an early look at what we have learned about the Wildcats in the first 11 games of the year.

Skal Labissiere Is Not as Dominant as Projected

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Coming into the season, Skal Labissiere—247Sports' No. 2-ranked recruit in the 2015 class—was considered a top option for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Although these are both based on projections for his future, the freshman has not lived up to the hype just yet.

The center is currently averaging just 9.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season, including an average of just 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in the last five games.

He has obvious talent to score in the post, but a lack of aggressiveness has prevented him from being a consistent threat for the Wildcats.

When head coach John Calipari said, "We're a ways away" after the team's latest loss, per ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman, he might as well have been specifically talking about Labissiere.

This is a bigger issue with Kentucky lacking depth compared to last year, meaning the squad is more reliant on the freshman than it was Karl-Anthony Towns or others. If Labissiere doesn't turn things around, the Wildcats will be in trouble.

Shooting Is a Major Weakness

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Aside from Jamal Murray's recent breakout against Ohio State, Kentucky has struggled mightily with its outside shots. The team is shooting just 29.7 percent from three-point range, which ranks among the worst marks in the nation.

Tyler Ulis hasn't been able to find his shot this year while only Derek Willis even represents an alternative threat from deep. This leads to a very one-dimensional attack that is easy to defend.

Meanwhile, the free-throw shooting hasn't been too much better. The team is shooting just 67.4 percent from the charity stripe to rank 222nd in the nation. This includes just an 8-of-14 performance in the recent loss to Ohio State.

There is plenty of athleticism on the roster that allows the Wildcats to score at the rim, but the inability to shoot can hold the team back.

Jamal Murray Can Be a Star

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One of the many positives from Kentucky's season is the play of Jamal Murray. The freshman started off the year with inconsistent shooting, but he has been on fire lately while proving himself as one of the top scorers in the nation.

Even in the loss to Ohio State, Murray was worth the price of admission with his 33 points, including 7-of-9 shooting from three-point range. This was his sixth game in a row with at least 16 points scored, as he has become the team's most consistent weapon.

While he does still need to cut down on turnovers and improve his shot selection, the guard has been even better than anticipated so far this season.

Every top team needs a go-to option it can trust to make plays late in games, and Murray has proven to be that guy for the Wildcats.

Defense Can Still Be Elite

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The defensive effort against UCLA and Ohio State wasn't great, but those teams were also hitting a lot of difficult jump shots. The Buckeyes went 9-of-18 from three-point range while the Bruins made 52.8 percent of their shots from the field.

Things have been much better in the nine wins, with opponents averaging just 62.3 points per game. None of those teams were able to top 70 points, something both Ohio State and UCLA were able to do this season.

Inconsistency aside, the tools are there for Kentucky to once again have one of the top defenses in the country. The interior defense is as good as anyone's with both Skal Labissiere and Marcus Lee averaging over two blocks per game.

There isn't quite as much length on the perimeter as in past years, but all three starting guards are quality on-ball defenders who can force turnovers and difficult shots.

Alex Poythress and Charles Matthews also have the versatility and athleticism to defend multiple positions on the floor.

KenPom.com currently rates the Wildcats defense as the 13th-best in the nation, but this group can be even better by the end of the year.

Biggest Issues Are Fixable

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Two losses are more than Kentucky had all last season, and it is clear the current group isn't quite as good as last year's version. With that said, there is still plenty of talent on this team and it can clearly contend for a national title by the end of the year.

Aside from shooting and a few other issues, the biggest problems with this team are mental.

The players often lack intensity on defense as well as focus when it comes to rotations. Consistency in these areas would go a long way.

On offense, the team has to make better decisions with the ball when it comes to both passing and shooting. These are common mistakes for an inexperienced team, but it should improve with time.

As long as the Wildcats are able to limit their mental errors, they will be in good shape going forward.

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