Kentucky Basketball: Predictions for Wildcats' 2015-16 Team Awards

Anticipation for the 2015-16 college basketball season is building across the nation and especially in Lexington, Kentucky. 

With practice underway and predictions being made across the nation about how the Wildcats will replicate their impressive 2014-15 campaign, we decided to prognosticate whom the best Kentucky players will be during the upcoming season. 

We picked five of the major awards that are distributed to players on a national level, applied them to the 2015-16 Wildcats roster and came up with some intriguing results. 

Continue reading to see whom we predicted to win the team awards for the 2015-16 season. 

Offensive Player of the Year: Jamal Murray

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Jamal Murray's success this summer for Team Canada has been well-documented, and all signs are pointing to him having a terrific freshman season at Kentucky. 

The young guard will experience some growing pains in his adjustment process to the collegiate game, but we don't expect them to linger past the first month of the season, if there are any at all. 

Murray should be able to thrive in the three-guard lineup that head coach John Calipari will trot out to the court. With Tyler Ulis playing the main role of distributor and Isaiah Briscoe working as a nice complement to the pair as a star shooter and passer, Murray should feel comfortable in the Kentucky backcourt. 

With the NBA in his sights, Murray should look to improve each facet of his offensive game, and based on his progress at the international level this summer, he shouldn't have a problem with that as the season progresses. 

If everything goes right for Murray, he will be the team's leading scorer and will rank high on the field-goal and three-point percentage lists. 

Defensive Player of the Year: Skal Labissiere

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

It's hard to pick against Skal Labissiere being the best defensive player on the Kentucky roster this season. 

The freshman big man will carry most of the frontcourt responsibilities on his shoulders, and he should be a menace to opposing centers throughout the year. 

There is no doubt Labissiere will face some comparisons to last year's impressive big men who are now in the NBA, but he also has a chance to carve his own legacy in Lexington over the next seven months. 

Labissiere will be counted on to pull down the majority of the rebounds in the paint and to be a presence in the shot-blocking department. Although he will receive help down low from Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee, Labissiere has the most talent at the position on the roster. 

With that in mind, we should see Labissiere dominate the rebounds and blocks categories as well as put up strong numbers in the points department. 

Newcomer of the Year: Jamal Murray

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This choice seems obvious given the previous prediction we made regarding Murray. 

Murray will face stiff competition from Labissiere and Briscoe for the Newcomer of the Year award, but he should be able to outshine his two fellow classmates throughout the season. 

Murray can distance himself from the other two star freshmen with great performances in big games early in the season against Duke, Louisville, UCLA and Ohio State. 

If he is able to take control of the Kentucky offense in nonconference play, Murray might take the rebuilding SEC by storm and put up some ridiculous numbers. 

Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Poythress

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Handing the Comeback Player of the Year award to Alex Poythress is a no-brainer given the player's talent level and bad injury luck. 

The senior forward, who missed out on last season's run to the Final Four with a season-ending injury, will feature in a pivotal role next to Labissiere down low. 

Poythress will give the Wildcats a good amount of balance in the frontcourt as the freshman center looks to impose his will on opponents with his physical prowess.

Not only will Poythress be relied on to contribute points and rebounds in the paint, he will also be tasked with providing the young squad with a dose of experience, which is something we rarely see out of a Calipari-coached Kentucky team. 

Most Valuable Player: Tyler Ulis

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Each player we previously mentioned will play a vital role in the team's success during the 2015-16 season, but Tyler Ulis could be the most valuable piece on the roster. 

Ulis, who was overshadowed by others in the lineup last season, has a chance to turn into an elite player in the nation if all goes right during his sophomore year. 

The point guard, who tied for the team lead in assists last year, will be handed the keys to the Kentucky offense, and he should be able to become one of the top distributors in the nation. 

In addition to leading the team in assists and being a floor general, Ulis should provide the Wildcats with plenty of strong work on defense.

Although he may not be the player who catches the most headlines this season, Ulis will be the most important player on the roster during the quest for a national championship.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.