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UK's Labissiere Drafted by Suns, Traded to Kings

UK's Labissiere Drafted by Suns, Traded to Kings
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Jun. 23, 2016 | NEW YORK, NY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 23, 2016 | 10:05 PM | NEW YORK, NY
University of Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere was taken by the Phoenix Suns with the 28th pick in the first round of Thursday night's NBA Draft. In a proposed trade, the Suns’ pick will be shipped to the Sacramento Kings, where Labissiere is expected to join former Wildcats Willie Cauley-Stein, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo.

The native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, appeared in all 36 games with 18 starts, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in his lone season at Kentucky. His 1.6 blocks per game ranked seventh in the SEC, and he blocked three or more shots nine times during the year. Labissiere shot 51.6 percent from the field. 

He scored in double figures in four of his first six career games and posted a career-high 26 points in his second career game. Labissiere came on late in the season with an 11-point, eight-rebound game in the win at Florida and an 18-point, nine-rebound, six-block effort in the regular-season finale vs. LSU. He made 8 of 10 shots in the victory over the Tigers. In his NCAA Tournament debut, Labissiere scored 12 points and blocked six shots, tied for the second most in an NCAA Tournament game in school history.

Twice Labissiere won SEC Freshman of the Week, earning the honor in the first week of the regular season and the last.

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