By Kyle Arensdorf

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Freshman forward Trey Lyles remains a mystery to fans and even to some of his teammates at this point in the preseason.

Sophomore forward Derek Willis and sophomore center Dakari Johnson said they don’t know much about his game but have seen a nice shooting stroke and a promising offensive game in practice.

Lyles was in attendance but did not play in the Cats’ Big Blue Bahamas Tour in August because of an unspecified medical procedure on his left leg.

Lyles said it was just a  scope of his left knee and that it was nothing to worry about, but expressed an annoyance level in seeing his freshman counterparts getting a head start on playing time and, in turn, skill development.

“It’s definitely frustrating having to watch them play while I can’t do anything,” Lyles said.

“But once practice starts back up I’ll be able to get out there, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Lyles’ offensive skills are adept. One aspect of his game that could give UK a weapon that it didn’t have a season ago is his mid-range shooting – from around 17 feet and in.

He garnered a 63 percent two-point shooting average and 58 percent overall shooting percentage in high school.

Despite his absence, he was confident that his game could fit seamlessly into what the Cats are doing offensively.

“I think (my game) fits in perfectly because everyone on this team compliments each other in some way,” Lyles said.

Junior forwards Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress were with Lyles on his visit to UK and have taken him under their wing, which could be beneficial to the offensively-minded forward throughout his UK career.

With so much attention brought to Lyles’ offensive prowess, some of his deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball can get lost in the shuffle.

Cauley-Stein presents a defensive backbone to UK and can help Lyles iron out some negative tendencies he has on defense.

One discussion topic throughout the Indianapolis native’s recruitment process was being able to mine his potential, something that, until recently, Poythress was struggling with.

“We’re all going to make it work,” Lyles said.

No matter his athletic potential, Lyles thinks fans will appreciate how hard he plays.

“I play hard all the time,” he said. “I dive for loose balls and do all the dirty stuff on the court.”