Skal Labissiere, Isaiah Briscoe to Kentucky: Projecting UK's 2015-16 Rotation

One of these days, the Kentucky basketball program will catch a break on the recruiting trail.

The Wildcats landed two 5-star prospects, per 247Sports, as part of their suddenly potent 2015 recruiting class on Thursday in power forward/center Skal Labissiere and point guard Isaiah Briscoe. Naturally, the question now becomes what the lineup will look like when they arrive on campus, especially given how much young talent is already on the No. 1-ranked Kentucky squad this season.

Before projecting the 2015-16 rotation, it must be noted that I am predicting Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Karl Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles will all depart for the NBA. Therefore, none of them will be part of the 2015-16 lineup.

Read on to find out who will.

Point Guard: Isaiah Briscoe

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In terms of immediate playing time, nobody will benefit more from the Harrison brothers' projected decision to head to the NBA than Briscoe.

Briscoe may be a point guard, but he checks in at 6’3” and has enough power to get to the rim off the dribble. He is capable of hitting from the outside, but his greatest strength is his ability to slash to the rim and finish in style.

Briscoe is more of a Derrick Rose type of point guard than a Stephen Curry prototype, which is something John Calipari should be awfully familiar with from his time at Memphis.

With so much talent on the Kentucky roster, it will also be up to Briscoe to distribute the ball enough to keep everyone happy.

Shooting Guard: Devin Booker

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With Towns, Lyles and Tyler Ulis as the headliners in the 2014 recruiting class, it is somewhat easy for Devin Booker to get lost in the talent shuffle in Lexington.

However, fans will know his name in 2015-16 when he is the starting shooting guard and drilling three-pointers from all over the floor. Booker isn’t going to wow anyone with his ability to attack the rim off the bounce, but that shouldn’t be a problem next to Briscoe.

As mentioned, Briscoe is more of a slasher than a shooter, so Booker will be the one spotting up and drilling long-range shots when defenders collapse to stop Briscoe’s penetration or Labissiere on the blocks.

If it wasn’t clear already, the players that Calipari are putting together in the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes fit in perfectly with one another.

Forward: Alex Poythress

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The Kentucky starting lineup will have something that we don’t see very often in Lexington in 2015-16—a senior leader.

Alex Poythress is versatile enough to play either forward position, which will help him work his way into the starting five, and he gives Calipari plenty of size to work with in this rotation. The 6’8” Poythress can get out in transition with the guards or bang around down low with bigger forwards. He will be an important part of the rebounding game for the Wildcats.

What’s more, his greatest value is probably as a slasher from the wing or corner. With defenses paying so much attention to Briscoe and the big guys, Poythress will likely use his speed and quickness on some backdoor cuts for easy baskets.

While Poythress may very well declare for the NBA draft after this season, the thought is that he will stay for his senior campaign for the chance to be a leader on this team and improve his stock. He is already projected as the No. 32 pick on Draft Express, but a productive senior season could significantly boost that number.

Forward: Skal Labissiere

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The Anthony Davis comparisons will come early and often for Labissiere, largely because they are so easy.

While Labissiere is not nearly as explosive as Davis yet, his length and athleticism immediately stand out. He is going to be an absolute star on the defensive end and swat shots left and right for the Wildcats. His versatility will let him slide into the power forward spot, but he is more than capable of anchoring the defense at center if needed.

Labissiere will grab plenty of rebounds in Lexington as well, but his most valuable trait in this lineup may be his ability to stretch the floor with a jumper that extends past the three-point line.

The guards can work pick-and-pops with him on the perimeter and either hit Labissiere for an open jumper or attack the rim, because Labissiere's defender will not be in the paint to protect the basket.

Center: Dakari Johnson

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Kentucky is loaded in the frontcourt heading into the 2014-15 season, and guys like Cauley-Stein, Lyles and Towns will dominate on the low blocks.

Next year will be Dakari Johnson’s time to shine.

At almost any other school, Johnson would have been an elite prospect who headlined the class, but he was overshadowed by the Harrison brothers, Julius Randle and James Young when he arrived in Lexington in 2013.

The 7’0" center will be Kentucky’s best rebounder next season and a monster defensively when paired with Labissiere. It is really unfair to think about that combination protecting the rim and grabbing every loose rebound in sight.

Johnson will be the rare recruiting gem in Kentucky who doesn’t actually shine for a couple of seasons, but he will do just that as a junior.

Johnson is projected as the No. 19 pick on Draft Express, but he will not play nearly enough in 2014-15 to solidify himself in the eyes of NBA scouts. Therefore, he will return in 2015-16 and prove his skills, which could improve his stock enough to land him in the top 10.

Significant Bench Players

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Charles Matthews, Tyler Ulis and Marcus Lee

This section is bound to change if and when John Calipari lands a couple of more elite recruits as part of the 2015 class, but for now there is still plenty of leftover talent on the bench.

Charles Matthews may be overshadowed as part of that 2015 class now that Labissiere and Briscoe have joined forces, but he has the potential to be an elite shooter who gives the Wildcats a spark off the bench. He has impressive range and will fill the lanes in transition with Briscoe.

Another player who will be more than ready to get out in transition as a spark plug off the bench is Ulis. He will demonstrate his defensive prowess this season in relief of the Harrison brothers and will be back again next year to run the show at point guard off the bench.

Finally, Marcus Lee will be the first big man off the bench next season for the Wildcats. Like Johnson, he has NBA potential but may need to wait a couple of years before he really shines because of the logjam of talent on the Kentucky roster.