Kentucky Basketball: Each Projected Starter's Most Concerning Flaw

The Kentucky Wildcats will enter the 2015-16 season with plenty of expectations, especially after the success of last season's talented squad laden with underclassmen. 

John Calipari's latest squad is chock full of talent and should be the favorite to win the SEC, and if everything goes well, the Wildcats will be in position to challenge for a national championship in March.

However, if the Wildcats are to replicate last season's trip to the Final Four, the five projected starters must work on the little things in their respective games. 

Here's a look at the most concerning flaw each member of the Kentucky starting lineup has entering the new season.

Tyler Ulis: Scoring in Big Games

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Picking a flaw out of Tyler Ulis' game is not the easiest thing to do since the sophomore guard is talented in every area of the court. But if you look at his numbers from the 2015 NCAA tournament, the one total that sticks out is points per game. 

Although he wasn't the top scorer on last season's Kentucky team by any stretch of the imagination, Ulis still failed to deliver some points off the bench during an extended amount of playing time in March. 

In 129 minutes across five games, Ulis went 9-of-25 from the field and contributed 31 points, which equates to a 36 percent field-goal percentage. If you add in the SEC tournament championship game against Arkansas, Ulis' numbers are even worse since he added eight points on 2-of-5 shooting in 34 minutes. 

In order for Kentucky to have a balanced backcourt in high-pressure matchups, Ulis must take more shots and be more accurate than he was at the end of his freshman year.

Isaiah Briscoe: 3-Point Shooting

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If Isaiah Briscoe wants to turn himself into a first-round pick in the 2016 NBA draft, he will have to improve his numbers from beyond the arc. 

The incoming freshman shot close to 50 percent from the field at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey last season, but he struggled from three-point range, as he made 30 of his 83 attempts from downtown, per MaxPreps. 

Last season, Devin Booker shot 47 percent from three, while Aaron Harrison was a 39.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Briscoe does not have to match the strong total put up by Booker, but if he reaches the mark set by Aaron Harrison, Kentucky will be in good shape, especially if Ulis and Jamal Murray contribute in the ways they are expected to.

Jamal Murray: Youth

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Up until a few months ago, Jamal Murray was considered a part of the class of 2016. Now as we enter August, Murray is preparing for what should be his only collegiate season as a member of the class of 2015. 

His reclassification seems like the right decision so far based on his production for Canada at the Pan-Am Games, but he is still entering the collegiate level as a raw prospect. 

Although he carries a ton of potential with him, Murray will also be facing a tougher schedule than most incoming freshmen as he adjusts to the surroundings in Lexington. Thanks to his strong showing at the Pan-Am Games, Murray is expected to be named to the squad for the FIBA Americas Championship, where Canada will attempt to qualify for the Olympics. 

Murray certainly has the talent to play at different levels and thrive, but if he plays in the FIBA Americas Championship, he will miss out on a few key weeks of the adjustment process at Kentucky. We have seen plenty of young stars fail to deal with all of the pressure in college before. While we are not expecting that to happen with Murray, we are a bit cautious about his workload and how he faces adversity if he struggles early on at Kentucky due to his participation on the international stage.

Alex Poythress: Health

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Alex Poythress will thrive in his senior season at Kentucky if he is healthy. But that is a big if after the injury he suffered in his junior season. 

The forward, who suffered a torn ACL in December, is expected to be ready to compete during the 2015-16 season, but getting back into full-throttle game action will be a process Poythress will have to get used to once again. 

One of the biggest parts of his recovery on the court will be the mental aspect. Poythress injured his ACL on an uncontested layup in a Kentucky practice. If he puts that behind him on his first easy layup of the season, everything should be okay. But there is a small bit of concern that the mental part of the game will not be in tune with the physical side right away. 

If Poythress doesn't put everything together before the crucial part of the season, Kentucky may end up a bit vulnerable in the frontcourt. 

Skal Labissiere: Strength

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Skal Labissiere won't be Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis in his first game at Kentucky, but he does have a chance to grow into the center role if he improves on his strength throughout the year. 

The talented big man, who should be off to the NBA draft after his freshman year, is a quality player, but it would be wise of him to work on his strength in the paint as he prepares for the next level.

He doesn't have to do much to make strength yet another impressive part of his game, but it will take a good amount of games for him to pick up the toughness required to excel at the next level. Look for the early-season contest against Duke to be a good litmus test for Labissiere.