Most Indispensable Player on Each Top 10 College Basketball Team

All it takes is one injury to the wrong player to completely derail an otherwise promising season for the nation's top college basketball teams.

Without Joel Embiid last year, Kansas went from a serious candidate to win the national championship to a team that almost no one expected to reach the Final Four.

Fifteen years ago, Cincinnati was in the same boat. The Bearcats spent the entire regular season ranked in the top four in the AP poll before Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the Conference USA tournament. They went from one of the favorites to win it all to a second-round loss to Tulsa.

When news broke this morning that Texas' starting point guard Isaiah Taylor could be out for a few weeks with a non-shooting wrist injury, we were instantly left to wonder what this means for the rest of the season for the Longhorns.

Is Taylor the team's most indispensable player? And what about the other teams ranked in the Top 10? Who is the one player that those teams cannot possible live without?

10. Texas Longhorns

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Most Indispensable Player: Jonathan Holmes

For however long he is out, Isaiah Taylor is certainly a big loss for the Longhorns, but it's not quite as catastrophic as it would be to lose Jonathan Holmes.

Taylor is a sophomore point guard prone to turnovers. He's been much better through three games this year, but he shot just 39.1 percent from the field last season. According to Sports-Reference.com, Taylor was worth 0.100 win shares per 40 minutes last year while Holmes was twice as valuable with a ratio of 0.199.

Moreover, the Longhorns have a perfectly capable point guard on the bench in junior Javan Felix. Felix has averaged 5.1 assists per 40 minutes in his career with Texas. His big issue has been shooting—his career field-goal percentage is 35.9—but if Rick Barnes can get him to focus more on distributing and less on scoring, the team will be just fine.

Holmes, on the other hand, cannot be replaced.

The 6'8" senior forward has been one of Texas' most efficient scorers since the day he arrived. Holmes isn't a double-double machine—mostly because he only plays about 25 minutes per game—but he's a very good rebounder who can also block a few shots.

Through three games, Holmes is shooting 71.4 percent from the field, including 70.0 percent from three-point range.

Perhaps most important of all, though, is that his presence at small forward allows Texas to have a Kentucky-like platoon system in the frontcourt. Myles Turner, Cameron Ridley, Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh are all averaging between 15-20 minutes per game at power forward and center, meaning they'll be deeper and fresher for longer than most other teams in the country.

9. Virginia Cavaliers

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Most Indispensable Player: Malcolm Brogdon

Malcolm Brogdon was already Virginia's most important player last year, and the graduation of Joe Harris only made him that much more indispensable.

Conventional stats alone don't even remotely tell the whole story on Brogdon, largely because Virginia plays at such a slow pace. If we look at his numbers per 100 possessions, though, Brogdon's 2013-14 season was right up there with a player that many consider a serious candidate for this year's Wooden Award.

Brogdon per 100 possessions: 26.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.5 steals

Delon Wright per 100 possessions: 25.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 4.1 steals

Wright does a little more passing and stealing, but Brogdon wasn't used on quite as many possession as Wright with London Perrantes serving as Virginia's primary ball-handler.

Could Brogdon's numbers climb even higher without last year's primary three-point weapon? Through three games, he's already at 30.5 points and 8.2 assists per 100 possessions.

An injury to Brogdon would likely send Virginia spiraling out of the Top 25 in a hurry.

8. Florida Gators

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Most Indispensable Player: Michael Frazier II

Florida's most indispensable player may quickly become Chris Walker now that the phenom big man is eligible to play. Until he fulfills our lofty expectations, though, there's no question that the only returning starter from last year's team is the player the Gators could least afford to lose.

Michael Frazier II shot a ridiculous 44.5 percent from three-point range last season while attempting 265 triples.

Frazier was more than just a long-range assassin, though. He was arguably the team's most valuable defender and one of the best in the country at capitalizing on a fast break by either finishing at the rim or spotting up on the perimeter for a wide-open three-pointer.

The Gators do have a serviceable backup shooting guard in Eli Carter, but they just wouldn't be the same without one of the best shooting guards in the nation.

7. Louisville Cardinals

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Most Indispensable Player: Montrezl Harrell

You could make a good case for Terry Rozier here.

Louisville has seven players on its roster who are 6'8" or taller, meaning the Cardinals wouldn't be completely hopeless in the paint if Montrezl Harrell missed some time. Meanwhile, the guards who would replace Rozier in the lineup (Quentin Snider and Anton Gill) have displayed nothing close to Rozier's ability to score, pass and defend without committing turnovers.

However, the state of the backups is only half of the story.

When Harrell surprised us all by returning for another season, it kept Louisville in position to contend for another national championship. The Cardinals may have a plethora of big men, but none of them can do what Harrell can do.

Heck, there might not be any power forwards in the country as good as Harrell.

The frightening thing is that Harrell has evidently added elements to his game that weren't there last season.

In the first game of this season, he made more three-point field goals than he did in the first 1,733 minutes of his career. Harrell is also shooting 80.0 percent from the free-throw line after shooting 46.4 percent as a sophomore.

Two games is certainly a small sample size, but he entered this season with only two games in his entire career in which he attempted at least five free throws and made more than 67 percent of them.

Seeing Harrell sink 9 of 10 freebies in the opener against Minnesota might have been the most surprising thing that happened in the entire first week of the season. If he keeps displaying that type of shooting ability, he might be the most indispensable player in the nation.

6. North Carolina Tar Heels

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Most Indispensable Player: Marcus Paige

One week before the season began, our six college basketball experts gave their predictions on a number of things about the year ahead, including National Player of the Year.

Half of us picked Marcus Paige.

The Tar Heels have some great, important players. The projected growth of Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks in the paint is the primary reason they opened the season ranked No. 6 after merely earning a No. 6 seed last March. Freshmen Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and Joel Berry will all play a huge role.

Take Paige out of the equation, though, and this is a young team with no leader and no three-point presence whatsoever.

Last year, Paige was responsible for 59 percent of North Carolina's made three-pointers. Through two games this year, he is 4 of 8 while the rest of the team is a combined 2 of 19.

Paige also led the team in assists last season and was the second-best defender behind J.P. Tokoto.

One difficult to calculate but undeniable importance has been Paige's knack for simply taking over a game when needed. He'll seem to coast through the early stages of games, but he put the team on his back when it needed a late run time and again last season.

There hasn't been any need for those late-game heroics thus far, but we'll see if he's still doing his thing in December games against Iowa, Kentucky and Ohio State.

5. Kansas Jayhawks

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Most Indispensable Player: Perry Ellis

It's been a rough opening week for the Jayhawks. They struggled at home against UC Santa Barbara before getting destroyed by Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

Not a single player is averaging 10.0 PPG. Svi Mykhailiuk—the team's backup shooting guard—is leading the team in assists with a whopping four.

If they're going to turn things around, they'll need Perry Ellis to lead the way.

Ellis had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in the win over the Gauchos, but he was completely helpless against Kentucky.

Even with Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid on the roster, Ellis was arguably the most important player on last year's team. He finished second in points, second in rebounds and second in steals while playing just 27.8 minutes per game.

He has the skill to be a 16.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG type of player this season.

More important than his numbers, though, is what he can do for the other big men.

Kansas is an extremely young team. According to KenPom.com (subscription required), the Jayhawks rank 336th in experience, with a team average of 0.97 years of experience per player. They do have five capable big men, but Ellis entered this season with nearly as many minutes played in his college career (1,477) as the other four combined (1,542).

Ellis will not only lead the team, but he will help the young bigs improve as the year progresses.

4. Duke Blue Devils

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Most Indispensable Player: Jahlil Okafor

Every other team on this list has a second player who is just about as important as the most indispensable player.

Duke, however, doesn't even have a second candidate behind Jahlil Okafor.

In the backcourt, everyone is replaceable. If either Tyus Jones or Quinn Cook gets hurt, the other takes up a bigger role while welcoming either Rasheed Sulaimon, Matt Jones or Grayson Allen into the starting lineup. If Justise Winslow missed some time at small forward, one of those three bench guys could come in for a great three-guard lineup.

Losing Amile Jefferson would hurt, but Duke has gotten by just fine in recent years with small-impact power forwards like David McClure, Josh Hairston and Lance Thomas. The Blue Devils wouldn't have much depth, but they could figure something out between Semi Ojeleye and Marshall Plumlee.

Force this team to play without Okafor, though, and it goes from Top Five in the country to possibly outside the Top Five in the ACC.

Okafor is the presence in the post that the Blue Devils desperately needed last season. Jabari Parker was an out-of-this-world talent, but he had no business filling the role that Mason Plumlee played for Duke two years ago.

This year, they have a true center and one of the best that we've seen in more than a decade.

Maybe the best thing about Okafor is that he isn't a black hole in the paint.

Some centers get the ball in the post and feel like it's their responsibility to put the ball into the hoop no matter how many help defenders collapse on them. Okafor, however, is not only willing to kick the ball back out to the perimeter, but at times it almost looks like he'd rather find an open teammate than get his own buckets.

For a team like Duke that has at least three three-point shooters on the court at all times, that ball movement will go a long way.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

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Most Indispensable Player: Frank Kaminsky

Sam Dekker is leading the team in scoring and was one of the popular picks for Big Ten Player of the Year. Nigel Hayes has absolutely exploded for 15.3 PPG and 11.3 RPG and has already made 3 of 5 three-pointers after not attempting a single triple last season.

But is there anything Frank Kaminsky can't do?

Through three games, Frank the Tank is averaging 17.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.7 BPG and 1.0 SPG. The 7-footer has also attempted more three-pointers than any other player on the team.

He is their Mr. Everything. Vitto Brown or Duje Dukan could conceivably replace Dekker or Hayes, and Bronson Koenig could start in just about any backcourt in the country.

There's no plan B at center, though. Not only is Kaminsky the only player on the roster taller than 6'9", but it's virtually impossible to find anyone else in the country with his skill set—let alone on Wisconsin's bench.

2. Arizona Wildcats

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Most Indispensable Player: T.J. McConnell

Arizona's frontcourt is so ridiculously good that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is leading the Wildcats in scoring despite coming off the bench in all three games.

It might seem crazy that he isn't starting, but who do you remove to get him in there? Brandon Ashley is averaging 15.0 PPG and was one of the most important players on last year's team. Stanley Johnson is one of the best freshmen in the nation. Kaleb Tarczewski is simply too big and too talented not to start at center.

Sean Miller could take Gabe York out of the starting lineup to make room for Hollis-Jefferson, but that just goes to show how important T.J. McConnell is. Arizona's best lineup might be the one with McConnell serving as the only true backcourt player.

McConnell is one of the few players in the country who could flirt with a quadruple-double this season. Through three games, he's averaging 8.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 6.3 RPG and 4.0 SPG. He doesn't score a ton, but he's one of the best defenders in the nation, an outstanding passer and a plenty capable three-point shooter when he does decide to score his own buckets.

The only senior on the roster who will play with any regularity, McConnell is the wily veteran and the floor general for one of the best teams in the country. The Wildcats have very good forwards and centers, but they're even better with McConnell out there making everything easier for them.

1. Kentucky Wildcats

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Most Indispensable Player: Aaron Harrison

Incredible as Kentucky looked on Tuesday night in destroying Kansas, there's still one thing this team doesn't do well at all: shoot three-pointers.

Tyler Ulis (5 of 8) has been surprisingly great, but the rest of the team is 10 of 44 (22.7 percent) from long range.

At four of the five positions, the gap between the respective players on the blue and white platoons is all but negligible.

Is Willie Cauley-Stein really indispensable on a roster that also includes Dakari Johnson? Would the Wildcats miss an athletic freak of nature like Alex Poythress when they also have an athletic freak of nature like Marcus Lee? Will we ever stop arguing over whether Ulis or Andrew Harrison is actually the team's best point guard?

But there's a bit of a noticeable gap at shooting guard.

Devin Booker was the least heralded of Kentucky's ridiculous recruiting class, and he has made just 1 of 11 three-point attempts through three games. It's taken Booker 20 field-goal attempts to score 15 points.

There's still a ton of season left to be played, but if he doesn't show some improvement over the next couple of games, it could be Aaron Harrison who benefits from the partial death of the platoon system.

Unfortunately, Harrison hasn't exactly been an assassin to this point in the year either. He has scored just 23 points on 24 field-goal attempts.

However, we know with certainty from the 2014 NCAA tournament that Harrison can come up big in the clutch. Should Kentucky ever find itself in a close game, look for Harrison to be the one guy who isn't subbing in and out with the rest of his unit in the final 10 minutes.

Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.