Skal Labissiere has not played a minute on the court for the Kentucky Wildcats, but may already be entangled in a budding controversy with the NCAA.
Labissiere's guardian, Gerald Hamilton, told ESPN the NCAA has "not yet" cleared the highly touted center to play. The University of Kentucky will not confirm the playing status of any player before the basketball season, but stated Lassibiere has participated in preseason team activities.
"We're just trying to get everything squared away. They are asking a few questions," Hamilton said, declining to disclose any specifics. "They haven't cleared him, but we're sticking with our faith.
"There's no real concern about anything from the Kentucky compliance people."
Citing unnamed sources, ESPN reported the NCAA's inquiry has to do with Hamilton's relationship to Labissiere, who hails from Port-au-prince in Haiti. Hamilton reportedly declined to comment on that report as well, as did the NCAA.
A six-foot-11, 225-pound center, Labissiere is the second-overall high school prospect in the 2015 ESPN 100. He is also one of three five-star prospects to commit to Kentucky in his class. ESPN ranks Kentucky's 2015 recruits, the ones who will join this season's team, as the second best overall behind Duke's.
Like Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns before him, Labissiere is a highly talented big man expected to stay one year at Kentucky before being drafted as a lottery pick into the NBA.
