By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Coach Tubby Smith finally has the size he's been missing in seasons past in Shagari Alleyne (middle) and Lukasz Obrzut. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

LEXINGTON - Lukasz Obrzut, a 7-foot-1 Kentucky freshman, calls 7-3 freshman teammate Shagari Alleyne his new best friend. They make quite a pair walking around town.

"People look at us like we came from the moon," Obrzut said.

One teammate, 6-8 senior Erik Daniels, joked that he avoids joining them in public because, "It makes me look small."

Curiosity-seekers besieged Obrzut and Alleyne Thursday at UK's Media Day. For a team that otherwise lacks size, UK will call upon that duo for immediate help inside.

"The main thing is for them to give us a strong defensive presence," coach Tubby Smith said. "They have to be good rebounders, screeners and defenders. Not that we'd have a problem with them scoring, either."

Even for UK's sizeable standards, these kids stand out. They are just the fourth and fifth 7-footers in school history, following Bill Spivey (1950s), Tom Payne ('70s) and Sam Bowie ('80s).

Obrzut (pronounced WOO-kosh Orb-ZOOT), a native of Gliwice, Poland, played last season at Bridgton Academy prep school in Maine. He is 21, but only began playing basketball at age 15.

Alleyne (pronounced Shuh-GAR-ee Ahh-LEAN) is from the Bronx and wears a size-21 shoe, a UK record.

With an 8-foot wingspan, he can dunk nearly without jumping.

"With 'Woo' being from Poland and me from New York City, we teach each other things on and off the court," Alleyne said.

Obrzut, at 257 pounds, appears more polished and is more likely to make an immediate impact.

Playing a European style, he can face the basket and operate on the perimeter. He made five consecutive 3-pointers in warmups before Thursday's practice.

Alleyne, a slender 258 pounds, is considered more of a project, though he can run the floor well.

Smith dismissed the idea that 6-6 Chuck Hayes would play center, except for occasional defensive matchups.

Daniels, the Princeton High grad, added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason and now weighs 228.

He said he bulked up because he'll be expected to spend time in the post.

He'll likely play center in a smaller, quicker lineup, or if Obrzut and Alleyne are both ineffective.

E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com