Kentucky Basketball: Biggest Question Marks for Wildcats in 2015-16

Despite having another top recruiting class coming into Lexington and returning three McDonald's All-Americans, there are still plenty of questions for Kentucky basketball in the 2015-16 season. That shouldn't shock anyone when you remember the Wildcats did lose seven players in their rotation to the NBA.

There will obviously be plenty of differences from the 2014-15 version of Kentucky to the team we will see in Rupp Arena next season. But the most obvious will be the plethora of guards and ball-handlers and lack of frontcourt players this team has, as it was opposite last season.

This slideshow will take a look at the biggest questions for Kentucky heading into the 2015-16 season. This can vary from lineups to injuries to scheme-based questions because no matter how much talent is on the roster, there will always be questions in college basketball.

Will Kentucky Go to True Small Ball?

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Thanks to the Golden State Warriors, small ball is the "it" word in basketball right now. However, could it be something the Wildcats use next season, and if they do, when will they throw it out there? 

Think about a lineup of Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, Jamal Murray, Mychal Mulder and Skal Labissiere, which has four guys who all can create their shot, hit the outside shot and finish in the lane if needed and a center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim all at once. 

Don't be surprised to see Kentucky head coach John Calipari use this for a spark on the offensive side of the ball. With the dribble-drive offense, it will be important to keep the floor spaced, and this lineup gives the team the ability to have no one in the lane at all times.

Outside of Ulis, the other guards are all bigger for their respective positions.

Can Alex Poythress Stay Healthy?

James Crisp/Associated Press

Alex Poythress seemed to find his role the last couple of seasons after entering with high expectations as a freshman. However, a devastating torn ACL cut his junior year short and allowed him to return for a senior year, which could be his defining season.

Much like Darius Miller before him, who accepted his role as a sixth man and became one of the most beloved players in recent history for the Wildcats, Poythress will be the veteran who needs to be the heart and soul of the Wildcats.

His versatility allows him to be used at both forward positions and often provides a mismatch at one end of the court. He's an uber-athletic player, which gives Kentucky just another rim protector and someone who can switch on screens.

However, will he be the same player after the torn ACL? Will he be able to stay healthy the entire year? This could be the biggest question heading into the season, and there's no reason not to think he won't be the same player he was before the injury.

How Will Derek Willis Fit into the Rotation?

James Crisp/Associated Press

This will be an unpopular opinion, as many Kentucky fans, especially those who are from the Commonwealth, think this is the year Derek Willis becomes some sort of star. But the reality of it is Willis shouldn't play unless there is serious foul trouble or the game is a blowout. 

Willis, a junior from Louisville, hasn't seen time during his first two years. However, there seems to be some sort of lore from practice stories that Willis is an All-American in the making. Let's remember there's a reason he can't get on the floor, yet someone like Dominique Hawkins was able to stay in the rotation for a period of time.

Willis would be a great player at a program like Gonzaga or Wichita State, but at Kentucky, he's simply a bench player. That won't change for the 2015-16 season.