Kentucky Basketball: Wildcats' Offseason To-Do List

Many people will look at Kentucky's season as a failure for not winning the national title. While the season shouldn't be looked at that way—after all, the team went 38-1, tying an NCAA Division I record for most wins in a season—fans feel like there was more left for the Wildcats to do.

While that's in the past, it's time to look at the present and future of Kentucky basketball. We now know, per USA Today, that seven players declared for the NBA draft, leaving just Tyler Ulis, Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee as returning players who were in the rotation this past season.

Whatever you think of his system, Kentucky head coach John Calipari will reload again for next year and look for the Wildcats to be in the Top Five when preseason polls are released. However, we'll take a look at the Wildcats' offseason to-do list that must be addressed in order to make another run to the Final Four.

Get Alex Poythress Healthy

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Alex Poythress is one of the most important players this offseason, as long as he comes back to Lexington.

As a freshman who averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game in 2012-13 while shooting over 58 percent from the field, Poythress was looked at as a bust in terms of Kentucky basketball. He bounced back while playing the role of sixth man as a sophomore, saving his best games for the NCAA tournament by providing rebounding and energy that others couldn't.

He was finally coming into his own as a junior this season when he was forced to shut it down due to torn ACL. If he can get back to being the player he was, he'll be a valuable asset due to his ability to guard multiple positions and finish at the rim. He won't have to lead the team in scoring, but Kentucky needs him out there.

Teach Marcus Lee Offensive Moves

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Marcus Lee will finally get what he's hoped for over the last two years at Kentucky: the chance to be a major player for the Wildcats.

The former McDonald's All-American has been a high-energy player, most notably known for his dunk-fest against Michigan in the Elite Eight in 2014. However, that's about the limit to Lee's game. He doesn't beat defenders off the dribble and most certainly doesn't show off post moves when he touches the ball. He just crashes the boards and finishes alley-oops.

That will have to change next year. There's plenty of talent on the coaching staff to continue to work with Lee offensively, and you can see a progression similar to Willie Cauley-Stein.

Go Sign Malik Newman

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The one thing you can guarantee is that Calipari will bring in a top recruiting class. The Wildcats already have three commitments for the class of 2015—yes, they are all rated quite high—and there will be more recruits signing now that we know who is leaving for the NBA.

The most important player to go sign is Malik Newman, a 6'3" combo guard from Mississippi. He is likely to pick between Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU and Kansas, with the Wildcats being the favorite to land him, per 247Sports.

It's vital for Kentucky to get him due to the current lack of depth at guard. Tyler Ulis will become the full-time point guard next season, but outside of that, there's plenty of room open with 2015 recruit Isaiah Briscoe not yet in Lexington and 2014-15 reserve Dominique Hawkins never having handled more than nine minutes per game.