Kentucky Basketball: Wildcats Most Likely to Make All-SEC Team

Kentucky is expected yet again to be one of the best teams in the country next season. With that comes an obvious expectation to dominate the SEC and place a handful of players on the All-SEC team.

Despite going undefeated in the regular season, there were only two Kentucky players on the 2014-15 All-SEC first team. That honor went to Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns, while Arkansas' Bobby Portis was named the SEC Player of the Year.

A key reason for Kentucky's lack of recognition was due to the platoon system: Players simply could not pile up stats like stars of other teams did.

That won't be the case this year as the Wildcats should go eight deep and have plenty of minutes to spread around. Here's a look at the Wildcats most likely to make the All-SEC team in the 2015-16 season. 

3. Tyler Ulis

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Tyler Ulis won't lead the team in scoring, and the 5'9" guard certainly won't lead the team in rebounding. There's a good chance, however, he will lead the team in leadership, assists and steals. Ulis will likely be in contention for one of the nine spots on the first-team All-SEC unit.

The ball will be in Ulis' hands the majority of the time, and playing alongside other point guards will allow Ulis to create more room. He has a knack of getting into the paint and either shooting or getting a teammate an open shot. There's no doubt other coaches will notice this when it comes time to vote. 

There might not be anyone better in the country when it comes to on-ball defense. We saw what happened with Cauley-Stein last year as a defensive wizard, and the same can come true for Ulis during the 2015-16 campaign. 

2. Skal Labissiere

There aren't too many times when a player projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA draft isn't likely to make the All-SEC team. That's exactly what Skal Labissiere is expected to do. 

Labissiere is extremely polished on the offensive side of the ball. At 6'11", he has shown the range to step out and calmly hit shots from deep. He's turning into the prototypical small-ball center and can still protect the rim with his shot-blocking ability while playing away from paint on the offensive side of the ball.

He's nowhere near as talented as former Wildcat Anthony Davis is on the defensive side of the ball, but he can step out and guard the wing like Davis did during his 2012 season, in which he won multiple player of the year awards.

With a short frontcourt, Labissiere should see plenty of minutes if he stays out of foul trouble. The ability to stay on the court as long as possible might help Labissiere get the nod for the All-SEC team, but it won't be the only reason. Don't be surprised to see Labissiere lead the Wildcats in points this year. 

1. Jamal Murray

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A tall swingman who can also play point guard, Jamal Murray and head coach John Calipari's dribble-drive offense sounds like a match made in heaven. 

Murray is a 6'5" combo guard from Canada who can do a little bit of everything, and it doesn't matter what position you play him. His point guard nature allows him to create opportunities for teammates, and he's exceptional at creating his own shot. This makes him the perfect player in the free-flowing offense that Calipari wants to run in 2015-16.

His ability to play three positions will likely make him the backcourt candidate to play the most minutes next season. He can serve as a backup point guard to Tyler Ulis or Isaiah Briscoe while sliding into either of the two wing positions. Much like Labissiere, his potential All-SEC nomination will be aided by the minutes he plays compared to that of his teammates.