College Basketball Players Tasked with Replacing Last Year's Biggest Stars

The talent exodus that college basketball must endure each year because of graduation and the NBA draft is hard to handle. We can't help thinking that some of the players on their way out of the game are so irreplaceable that their teams will never be able to fill those voids.

This is true often enough, but that doesn't mean they won't try to move on.

The end of the 2014-15 season again forced us to say goodbye to plenty of stars, such as the Wisconsin Badgers' Frank Kaminsky, the three Duke Blue Devils freshmen who led the team to the national title and pretty much the entire Kentucky Wildcats rotation. They'll be missed, but now it's time for the next group to take over.

Here's a look at the players who have the unenviable task of trying to step in for those departed stars, detailing what they've done to this point and what their respective teams are expecting from them in 2015-16.

Ryan Anderson, Arizona

KEVIN RIVOLI/Associated Press

Replacement for: Stanley Johnson

Stanley Johnson is one of four starters whom Arizona lost from last year's Elite Eight team, but he's the most dynamic of the group. A slew of replacements are in line to pick up the slack for him and other departees, with Ryan Anderson playing a big role in that succession plan.

Anderson sat out the 2014-15 season after transferring from Boston College, so he had an opportunity to see what Arizona was all about through practice and watching from the bench. The 6'9" senior forward averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 46.7 percent shooting in his three seasons with the Eagles, going for 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 2013-14.

Paired with senior center Kaleb Tarczewski, Anderson will be part of a formidable frontcourt—but one that won't be as involved offensively as Johnson's group was. That unit also lost Brandon Ashley, so Arizona figures to be more backcourt-oriented with several options for three different guard spots.

Lorenzo Bonam, Utah

Replacement for: Delon Wright

Delon Wright was one of the more unique point guards in the country over the past two years: a 6'6" matchup nightmare who was Utah's leading scorer and assist man but also one of the best rebounding guards around. That's a lot to ask for one person to replace, but the Utes are hoping Lorenzo Bonam can at least handle the traditional point guard duties.

Bonam spent the last two years at Gillette College, a junior college in Wyoming, where last season he helped his team reach the NJCAA tournament while averaging 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. The 6'4" junior is originally from Michigan.

"With his passing, rebounding and scoring ability, hopefully we'll have some similar discussions about him that we had about Delon as a guy who could surprise some people," Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak told Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune.

If Bonam can't do it all, Utah also has sophomore Isaiah Wright, who last season averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 assists in 12.3 minutes per game.

Isaiah Briscoe, Kentucky

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Devin Booker

Kentucky has so many contributors from last year's near-perfect team to replace that the next batch of Wildcats aren't necessarily going to slot into a particular departee's spot. The exception might be Isaiah Briscoe, who figures to be a player the team will ask to nail big perimeter shots the way Devin Booker did during his lone season.

Booker shot 41.1 percent from three-point range and 47 percent overall in 2014-15, showing a stroke that made him a hot commodity for NBA teams when he declared for the draft. A strong shooting touch is one of the many traits that Briscoe used to earn a 5-star rating, per 247Sports, during his prep career in New Jersey.

The 6'3" Briscoe played point guard for his high school and club teams but was often also their most explosive scorer. Kentucky will have plenty of weapons to turn to this year, so his overall offensive contributions might be tempered—but the need to make outside shots will remain important.

Vitto Brown, Wisconsin

Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Frank Kaminsky

It's rare for teams to have just one player like Frank Kaminsky, a 7-footer who was just as comfortable driving the lane and putting up outside jumpers as he was in the paint, let alone two of them. Wisconsin doesn't have the luxury of looking to its bench for a carbon copy of that kind of player, but Vitto Brown will get a chance to handle as much of Kaminsky's interior role as he can.

Brown played only 6.3 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2014-15, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds. The 6'8" forward has scored just 68 points in 38 career games, but the Badgers have high hopes that he can make a jump in performance with more playing time like Kaminsky did.

Prior to 2013-14, Kaminsky had scored 196 points in two seasons, but he exploded as a junior and became Wisconsin's go-to player.

DaJuan Coleman, Syracuse

Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Rakeem Christmas

Syracuse has been hoping for big things from DaJuan Coleman for some time now, but injuries have kept the 6'9", 255-pound forward from living up to his full potential. He's played 37 games in three seasons, the last coming in January 2013.

All that time off means he'll be rusty this year, which will be his redshirt junior season, but the Orange will need him to get up to speed quickly as a replacement for Rakeem Christmas down low. Christmas had a monster senior year, averaging 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and outscoring his first three years for Syracuse.

If Coleman can do the same thing this year, it will be huge for his team, but that won't be difficult. His career scoring average is 4.6 points per game, and he's reached double digits just eight times.

Dylan Ennis, Oregon

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Replacement for: Joseph Young

Oregon's roster has undergone another major overhaul, with only five players who contributed significant minutes last season returning to Eugene. None was as valuable as Joseph Young, who was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and provided more than 27 percent of the Ducks' scoring.

Head coach Dana Altman has brought in another group of promising players to fill in the gaps, including a graduate transfer from Villanova who was looking for a place where he could play the point and be a go-to scorer.

Dylan Ennis will be playing for his third program when the 2015-16 season begins, having played one season at Rice and the past two at Villanova. Last year, the 6'2" guard averaged 9.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 36.3 percent from three-point range.

Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Replacement for: Jerian Grant

Notre Dame lost a superstar in Jerian Grant, who played more minutes than any other player in the country last season and was also one of the most exciting assist men around. Thankfully, his successor got plenty of time on the court in 2014-15.

Demetrius Jackson was a key member of the Fighting Irish during their run to the Elite Eight, starting all 38 games alongside Grant in the four-guard lineup that was so difficult for opponents to handle, but he deferred to Grant most of the time when it came to distribution. Now, he'll be the one running the offense, which means his assist numbers (3.1 per game last season) will go up, while his scoring (12.4 points per game) should also rise.

The 6'1" Jackson is an excellent shooter from all areas, hitting 50.8 percent overall and a team-best 42.9 percent from three-point range.

Chase Jeter, Duke

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Justise Winslow

Of Duke's fantastic freshman trio from last season, Justise Winslow was the streakiest throughout the year, fluctuating between hot and cold. But when push came to shove in the NCAA tournament, he was front and center in all of the rallies and clutch moments.

Now, there's another first-year player taking Winslow's role in Chase Jeter, a 5-star forward from Las Vegas who signed with Duke in November just as the 2014-15 newcomers were getting started. He had all season to see how head coach Mike Krzyzewski used Winslow in various roles and situations, which should have prepared him for a similar set of tasks.

Bryce Jones, Murray State

Replacement for: Cameron Payne

Murray State was robbed of a spot in the NCAA tournament last year after losing to Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title game, which kept the casual college basketball fan from witnessing the wonder that was Cameron Payne. He averaged 20.2 points and 6.0 assists per game as a sophomore, and those talents will now be on display in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Payne's departure isn't the only major one for the Racers, as coach Steve Prohm left to take over at Iowa State. New coach Matt McMahon has his hands full in trying to keep the program moving forward, which includes having junior college transfer Bryce Jones serve as Payne's successor at the point.

The 6'0" Jones played the last two years at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi, averaging 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season.

Moses Kingsley, Arkansas

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Replacement for: Bobby Portis

Arkansas has lost so many players from last year's Sweet 16 team that it needs to replace almost every contributor. Only three players who scored at least 100 points are on the 2015-16 roster, and that includes a player (sophomore guard Anton Beard) who is suspended indefinitely after being arrested on forgery charges in July.

Moses Kingsley was Arkansas' eighth-leading scorer last year, at 3.6 points per game, but because he was playing behind Bobby Portis, he didn't see much significant action other than to spell the Razorbacks star. That figures to change now that Portis has moved on and there are few experienced players on the team.

The 6'10" Kingsley played only 10.8 minutes per game as a freshman, though he was second on the team in blocked shots with 38.

Skal Labissiere, Kentucky

Replacement for: Karl-Anthony Towns

Kentucky's next set of big-name recruits features players of all shapes and sizes as well as from varying backgrounds (and countries of origin). The Wildcats recently added a 7'0" Australian in Isaac Humphries, who will help provide depth to a frontcourt that has lost plenty of talent.

But the straight-up replacement for star Karl-Anthony Towns will be Skal Labissiere, a Haitian-born prospect who has lived in Mississippi and Memphis throughout the last few years. The No. 2 overall prospect in the 2015 class, per 247Sports, Labissiere has eyed Big Blue Nation as his destination for a long time.

"I always wanted to go to Kentucky," Labissiere told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. "I saw [coach John Calipari's] track record. He gets [you] ready physically and mentally for the next level, and that's what I want to be a part of, playing against guys who are really good every single day."

Calipari will need Labissiere to make an instant impact, since only one player—Marcus Lee—returns from the rotation of big men Kentucky used in 2014-15.

Marcus Lee, Kentucky

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Replacement for: Willie Cauley-Stein

Speaking of Lee, he might finally get a chance to show he can handle a defined role after two seasons of big dunks but not much else as a backup center for Kentucky. With Willie Cauley-Stein and the rest of the other Wildcats big men moving to the NBA, Lee has no more time to develop and now must be a key contributor.

"The 2015-16 season is one big opportunity for forward Marcus Lee," Metz Camfield wrote on CoachCal.com.

In two seasons, the 6'9" Lee has averaged only 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. Though part of Kentucky's platoon system last year, he was often the first one to see his time on the floor disappear after the first rotation or two.

Lee will be one of two upperclassman scholarship players on Kentucky's team this season, along with senior forward Alex Poythress. His ability to be a leader and mentor to the younger Wildcats should provide a good foundation to build off for on-court success.

Trey Lewis, Louisville

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Replacement for: Terry Rozier

Louisville returns only 17.5 percent of its scoring from last season, according to Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, which is likely why head coach Rick Pitino pursued his first graduate transfers since coming to the school in 2001. Former Drexel star Damion Lee is the more notable of the two, but Pitino won't be asking him to replace a specific player—instead, the team will ask him to be its driving force.

Trey Lewis, on the other hand, will get a chance to do what Terry Rozier did last season for Louisville at the point, which was similar to what Lewis accomplished during his time at Cleveland State.

The 6'2" senior averaged 15.8 points per game in 2014-15 for the Vikings, making 87 three-pointers at a 40.6 percent clip. Last year's Louisville team made only 198 threes, and Rozier's 48 were second to only the 60 that Wayne Blackshear hit.

JaQuan Lyle, Ohio State

Replacement for: D'Angelo Russell

With the one-and-done phenomenon in college basketball, many of the most electric players come and go so quickly that we hardly have time to appreciate them. D'Angelo Russell did his best to be memorable in his lone season at Ohio State, showing off a flair for no-look dimes and bounce passes that were worth watching over and over.

The Buckeyes aren't expecting JaQuan Lyle to be as flashy with his ball-handling and passing, but they do hope the 6'5" guard can be a major contributor.

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com wrote that the 4-star guard "will likely have the ball in his hands from Day 1" as the key member of Ohio State's five-man 2015 recruiting class.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Kansas

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Replacement for: Kelly Oubre Jr.

Kansas made a late addition to its 2014-15 roster in the form of 6'8" Ukrainian wing Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, though he didn't contribute much in his first season as he adapted to the American game and struggled to break into coach Bill Self's playing rotation. He should be more involved in the game plan now that Kelly Oubre Jr. has left for the NBA, since Oubre was his main competition for playing time at the 3.

Mykhailiuk averaged only 2.8 points in 11.2 minutes per game as a freshman, and despite being lauded for his great shooting touch and amazing athleticism, he made only 30.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and 28.8 percent of his three-point tries. Some of these struggles may have come from youth, though, as Mykhailiuk is still only 18 years old.

Oubre's departure means either Mykhailiuk or Brannen Greene—a 40.4 percent three-point shooter who played 15 minutes per game last year—should get that starting spot. Because of his upside and ability to do more than just hit threes, Mykhailiuk should bring more to the court.

Sean Obi, Duke

Lance King/Getty Images

Replacement for: Jahlil Okafor

Have fun with all of those unfair comparisons to your predecessor, Sean Obi.

While sitting out the 2014-15 season following his transfer from Rice, Obi earned valuable experience practicing against Duke star Jahlil Okafor and thus should be well-prepared to handle the rigors of facing the ACC's many frontcourt players. But no matter what he accomplishes this upcoming year, Obi will inevitably have his numbers lined up alongside those of Okafor.

Despite the fact that the Blue Devils won't be implementing the same kind of offense as they did with Okafor—who led the team in scoring (17.3), rebounding (8.5), blocks (1.4) and shooting (66.4 percent)—there will be plenty of times when fans compare Obi's line to Okafor's.

The 6'9", 265-pound sophomore should be able to handle the rebounding and defensive portions of what Okafor did, having been Rice's best inside player in 2013-14, but Duke will look to its many freshmen to handle the scoring load rather than expecting Obi to make a basket on every possession.

Josh Perkins, Gonzaga

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Replacement for: Kevin Pangos

It's hard to recall the last time Gonzaga entered a season without an established standout at point guard, but with Kevin Pangos ending his career with more than 1,800 points and more than 500 assists, there's a legitimate question mark at that position this year. Josh Perkins has been pegged as the next great Bulldogs floor leader, but a broken jaw halted the start of his tenure last season.

The 6'3" Perkins played in Gonzaga's first five games as a freshman last year, and he was looking good. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 assists on 50 percent shooting (including 4-of-10 from outside) in 20.2 minutes per game, but after suffering the jaw injury against Georgia in the NIT Season Tip-Off, the team shut him down for the rest of the season—and he ended up redshirting.

Now, it's Perkins' show to run, as Gonzaga lost both starting guards (Gary Bell Jr. was the other), and none of the other returners did much last season.

Cameron Ridley, Texas

Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Myles Turner

Texas had an overabundance of big men last season, and there weren't enough minutes to go around. Myles Turner, Jonathan Holmes, Prince Ibeh, Connor Lammert and Cameron Ridley were all battling for action in the same two spots, and only Ibeh saw less time on the court than Ridley.

The departure of Turner after one season makes the playing-time situation more manageable up front for new coach Shaka Smart, and Ridley figures to gain the most from the reduction in big bodies on the roster.

A 6'9", 285-pound senior, Ridley will need to be in the best shape of his life in order to handle Smart's "Havoc" approach to defense. Last year, he averaged 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game, shooting 55.7 percent along the way.

Ben Simmons, LSU

Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Replacement for: Jarell Martin or Jordan Mickey

The top-rated player in the 2015 recruiting class won't be playing the same position as either Jarell Martin or Jordan Mickey, the two LSU forwards who landed in the 2015 NBA draft, but there's no denying he's going to be the player the Tigers rely on the most this season, as was the case with those draftees.

The Australian-born Ben Simmons is a self-described "point forward" who is 6'10" but prefers to bring the ball up the court as much as he likes to set up in the paint. He spent the last three years at Montverde Academy in Florida, where he routinely played against top prep competition all over the country, often dominating.

With LSU, Simmons could end up leading the team in nearly every statistical category, like he did during the team's recently completed five-game trip to Australia, per Chris Dortch of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. And Simmons has also offered to help the Tigers football team out, if needed, telling David Ching of ESPN.com that he thinks he'd make a dangerous wide receiver in the red zone.

Derryck Thornton, Duke

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Replacement for: Tyus Jones

Duke had already lined up replacements for Okafor and Winslow long before they wrapped up their stellar freshman seasons. The same wasn't the case at point guard, where despite knowing there was a good chance Tyus Jones would leave after one year, the Blue Devils hadn't managed to lock up a recruit to take his place.

That all changed in May, when Duke was able to convince Derryck Thornton to reclassify from 2016 to 2015 and sign out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. His commitment filled the only hole the Blue Devils had for this season, and it was a big one based on how heady Jones played as a freshman.

Thornton won't be lacking in the confidence department. In March, he told USA Today's Jason Jordan, "I already feel like I'm the best point guard in high school."

Recruit ratings and info courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted. 

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.