Kentucky Basketball: Each Projected Starter's Top Priority in 2016-17

Kentucky once again should go into the upcoming college basketball season as a top contender for a national title, but in order to reach this goal, each player has to excel in his own role.

This past season showed what could happen when not everyone reaches his own potential. Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray were as good individually as almost any guards in the country, but the squad was inconsistent due to the lack of support from other players on the roster.

While not everyone needs to be an elite scorer or fill up the stat sheet, filling a role and taking care of business will go a long way toward team success. With a mostly new roster coming in for 2016-17, there are new jobs to go around, but the pressure is still on all of the players to succeed.

Here is a look at the main priority for each key Wildcats player heading into the season.

De'Aaron Fox: Become True Point Guard

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De'Aaron Fox has the physical tools to be an elite point guard both at the college and professional levels. The 6'3" player has good athleticism and length that will help him on both ends of the court while also showing good instincts as a scorer.

The biggest question for him going forward is whether he can become more of a true point guard with a passing mentality that gets everyone involved.

It's unfair to expect Fox to replicate Ulis' production after the departed guard averaged seven assists and just two turnovers per game last season. His vision and feel for the game were almost unmatched in college basketball this past year, and no one will be able to replace him.

However, Fox has the ability to average at least four or five assists per game while keeping his turnover total low. The incoming freshman knows how to get into the lane and will have talented finishers all around him. The challenge will just be getting them the ball.

This area of development will be vital for his NBA projections as well as Kentucky's level of success next season.

Isaiah Briscoe: Improve Free-Throw Shooting

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Much is made of Isaiah Briscoe's struggles as an outside shooter. He finished last season 5-of-37 from three-point range, good for just 13.5 percent from deep.

However, you can decide to just not take outside shots until you are comfortable. What you can't do is avoid shooting free throws, which makes his poor 46 percent mark from the line even more concerning.

Briscoe is clearly at his best when attacking the basket, but at this point, the smart move for defenders is to foul him and force him to try to get the two points at the line. Meanwhile, he is a liability late in games when free throws are so important to seal a close win.

There isn't too much depth to keep the guard on the bench in key situations, so the only alternative is for him to actually get better at the charity stripe.

While Briscoe has other good qualities as a defender, passer and penetrator, it won't matter if he is just as bad of a shooter in 2016-17.

Malik Monk: Score

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This sounds simple, but scoring is really all Malik Monk should worry about during his freshman season.

Monk is expected to be this season's Jamal Murray, with the confidence and ability to be a go-to scorer right out of the gate. He is a lights-out shooter from beyond the arc and has the quickness to create space for himself anywhere on the court.

It will be tough to live up to Murray's production from this past season, as the projected top-five NBA draft pick averaged 20 points per game and was even better down the stretch. A lack of alternative scoring options also caused the guard to be even more aggressive with the ball than he would have been otherwise.

Still, Monk has the tools necessary to lead the team in scoring and have the ball in his hands in big moments late in games. If he takes care of this role, the rest of his game will be forgiven.

Derek Willis: Maintain Efficiency in Bigger Role

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While overlooked earlier in the season, Derek Willis helped transform the Wildcats offensively in the second half of the year. His 44.2 percent three-point shooting made him the perfect stretch 4, adding a new dimension to the attack and opening things up for the rest of the roster.

Although he ended the season averaging just 7.7 points in 18.6 minutes per game, he knew how to take advantage of his opportunities.

According to Sports-Reference.com, Willis led Kentucky with an offensive efficiency rating of 133.9, a mark that would have been good for fourth in college basketball if he had enough minutes to qualify.

After proving himself as a worthy contributor, however, the rising senior should have a much bigger role in 2016-17. He's not guaranteed to start with a deep list of young big men looking for minutes, and his status remains uncertain after a recent charge of public intoxication, per Jon Hale of the Courier-Journal. Still, the veteran deserves a significant bump in playing time based on what we have seen on the court.

In this scenario, Willis will have to justify this time with more of the efficient play that made him so valuable this past season. If he continues to knock down outside shots and limits mistakes, this won't be a problem.

Bam Adebayo: Do the Dirty Work Down Low

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Bam Adebayo is a skilled player, but he doesn't have the offensive versatility of past Kentucky centers like Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns or even Skal Labissiere. Adebayo is likely going to spend most of his time in the paint, a position where he should dominate.

The 6'9", 232-pound forward has the strength to simply manhandle opponents at the college level, and this will lead to plenty of success on both ends of the court.

He is already an elite rebounder and should be able to finish consistently inside over smaller defenders.

You shouldn't expect a lot of highlight-reel plays from Adebayo and you might not even notice him over the course of the game, but next thing you know, you will see a double-double in the box score to go with a few blocked shots.

Freshman forwards Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones might have more upside going forward, but Adebayo will bring the toughness inside that Kentucky lacked last season.

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