Kentucky Basketball: Projecting Wildcats' 2015-16 Starting Lineup

With the exception of maybe one more person joining the Kentucky Wildcats roster, we have an idea of what the team will look like in the 2015-16 season. 

Every offseason, it's a fun game to guess who will be starting for the Wildcats. After Kentucky got eliminated by Wisconsin in the Final Four, we saw a mass exodus with seven players declaring for the NBA draft. 

With what we know of the roster on May 6, we'll take a look at the projected starting lineup in 2015-16 for Kentucky basketball. 

PG: Tyler Ulis

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The easiest pick of the bunch is Tyler Ulis starting at point guard for Kentucky next season. Ulis, one of the best pure point guards in the country, is expected to be the leader of this team and the one Kentucky head coach John Calipari plans to build this team around. 

After he split time with Andrew Harrison last season, don't be surprised to see Ulis play the most minutes on the team during the 2015-16 season. He averaged just 5.6 points, 3.6 assists and one steal per game last year, but it was easy to see what Ulis brought to the table.

He's a phenomenal defender despite being just 5'8". He's also an incredible ball-handler on the offensive side of the ball. He'll continue to be a fan favorite during his sophomore season.  

SG: Isaiah Briscoe

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For another year, Calipari will have to convince a point guard from high school to play off the ball. This year it will be freshman Isaiah Briscoe, who is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2015 by ESPN.

This shouldn't be a problem for Briscoe or the Wildcats, as the New Jersey native showed his shooting ability by winning the three-point contest at the Ballislife All-American Game last week. Briscoe is an electric scorer who should only benefit playing alongside Ulis, who looks to get his teammates open.

It shouldn't be a rough transition for Briscoe as he played next to Tyler Ennis in high school. Briscoe should be a favorite to lead the team in scoring with his athleticism and shooting ability. 

SF: Alex Poythress

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Coming off an ACL injury, rising senior Alex Poythress will be called upon to be the dominant player everyone expected him to be a couple of years ago. 

He averaged 11 points as a freshman to go along with six rebounds, but he felt underwhelming because of his inconsistency. He started to find his niche as a sophomore when he was moved to the sixth man role and became a high-energy player off the bench. 

He'll move to his natural position as a small forward this year, with the ability to move to the power forward spot when Calipari starts to make in-game adjustments. 

PF: Marcus Lee

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The rising junior has waited three years for his chance to prove his McDonald's All-American status. In fact Marcus Lee will be similar to Willie Cauley-Stein, who came to Kentucky raw on the offensive side of the ball but never stopped hustling and used his athleticism to his advantage.

Lee had a breakout game of sorts a couple of years ago against Michigan in the Elite Eight when he had some dunks in the first half to change the game. However, he's going to have to develop some sort of post move to keep his defenders honest this year.

Defensively, he'll be the next great big man for Kentucky. He's quick enough to switch on screens and contain guards while still being effective at protecting the rim. He should be one of the breakout stars in college basketball this year. 

C: Skal Labissiere

Skal Labissiere has the chance to not only be the best player on Kentucky but the best player in the country next year. Outside of Ulis starting at point guard, this is a lock when it comes to naming the starting five for next season.

Labissiere is polished on the offensive side of the ball. Scout.com's Evan Daniels (h/t USA Today) said he has terrific hands, nice touch around the goal, go-to jump hooks over each shoulder and the ability to face up defenders and make jump shots. He’s confident in his offensive ability, and with added strength it will only improve.

When you think of Labissiere, you think of Karl-Anthony Towns, and we all saw how great he was in the second half of last season. Players like these thrive under Calipari's system, and Labissiere should contend for National Player of the Year and the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.