Kentucky Basketball: 5 Things Julius Randle Must Do to Meet Expectations

In all likelihood, Julius Randle will only wear a Kentucky jersey for one year.

But, much like those who came before him in the one-and-done era, Randle can cement his legacy in Kentucky's history and win over the hearts of those in Big Blue Nation. 

Randle is the highest-rated recruit John Calipari was able to land in his ridiculously loaded class of 2013. While expectations might be unfair for both Randle and his teammates, they enter the season with lofty goals and a great deal of pressure.

Here are five things Randle must to do meet those expectations at Kentucky. 

Talk to DeMarcus Cousins

Julius Randle doesn't necessarily resemble DeMarcus Cousins with his game or his looks, but he needs to have the type of season Cousins had during his one year in Lexington.

Both players will have teamed up with a dynamic point guard, and much like Cousins did, Randle must embrace the fact that his point guard could garner more awards. Cousins became best friends with John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, and that played a large role in the chemistry on the court between the three former Wildcats.

Randle must become close with Andrew and Aaron Harrison and let the chemistry carry over to the floor. 

The other important thing Randle can learn from Cousins is what John Calipari demands out of his big men in the dribble-drive offense. 

Avoid Any Lingering Foot Injury

Randle missed most of his senior year with a fractured foot, which happened in the second game of the season. 

However, he was able to come back for the final five games of the season and lead Prestonwood to its second consecutive TAPPS 5A State Championship. Randle poured in 40 points in the semifinals and 34 points in the state championship game. 

Now, Randle isn't going to be averaging those types of numbers while at Kentucky, but he needs to be that dominant player for the Wildcats. 

Most importantly, he can't show any lingering effects from his foot injury that could make him a step slower at the college game. We saw what happened last year when Kentucky's best interior player got hurt, and the same can't happen this year. 

Lead Kentucky in Rebounding

Julius Randle is going to have to be the best big man, not only on his team, but also the best in the country, and that can only happen if he leads the Wildcats in rebounding in the 2013-14 season.

Randle won't need to average double-digit rebounds to lead Kentucky in the category thanks to the plethora of talented big men on the roster, but he will need to be around eight boards a game. 

Grabbing eight rebounds is something he is more than capable of, as he won co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Game this year. While it was an exhibition, he still showed he could grab rebounds while playing with some of the best players in the country and competing against another team of all-stars.  

Outplay Andrew Wiggins

Rivals.com has Andrew Wiggins ranked as the top player in the country, and right behind him is Julius Randle. 

After Wiggins decided not to join Randle in Lexington and instead opted for Kansas' blue and white, it became an immediate rivalry to see who will be the better college player this year. 

When most Kentucky fans looked at the ridiculous recruiting class Kentucky has, they immediately wrote off Wiggins and looked happily at the future. But in some cases, Big Blue Nation wonders how good this Kentucky team would be with Wiggins on the roster.

If Randle is able to outplay Wiggins throughout the season, more people will forget that Wiggins decided not to play at Kentucky and instead be happy they have Randle on their team. 

Win Title No. 9

It's pretty simple: This team is one of the most hyped teams in college basketball's history. If they go on to win Kentucky's ninth national championship, expectations have been met.

Expectations every year since John Calipari has been the head coach in Lexington have been filled with championship hopes. However, he has constructed this year's team to meet his ultimate goal of going 40-0. 

With a total of seven McDonald's All-Americans on the roster joining expected first-round draft pick Willie Cauley-Stein, the depth and obvious talent is there to be the heavy favorite to win the national title. 

If Julius Randle helps Kentucky raise a banner, he will immediately go down as one of the Wildcats' best and favorite players.