Kentucky Basketball: Biggest Changes Wildcats Will Undergo Next Season

Perhaps no team in college basketball is more prepared for heavy turnover than Kentucky.

The Wildcats will see plenty of change heading into next season thanks to a long list of departed stars. Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray and Skal Labissiere declared for the NBA draft, while Marcus Lee and Charles Matthews chose to transfer. Adding now-graduated Alex Poythress, there are six members of the rotation who will no longer be around.

However, this is also the team that saw seven players declare for the NBA draft the year before.

Between one-and-done players and other men always looking for better opportunities, head coach John Calipari often has to deal with starting from scratch when the new year begins.

While the team will obviously be prepared for the challenges, here is a look at some of the biggest changes the program will have to deal with starting in November.

New Style of Point Guard

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Aside from his 5'9" size, Ulis was pretty much an ideal point guard and one of the best college basketball has seen in years. He had complete control of the offense while tallying a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, finishing the year with impressive averages of 17.3 points and seven assists per game.

Obviously, it won't be easy to replace the SEC Player of the Year, who left after his sophomore season to pursue a career in the NBA.

On the other hand, De'Aaron Fox represents the type of point guard we have seen on Calipari teams over the last decade. The 6'3" player has the size, length and athleticism to make himself a tough assignment for opposing defenders. He is also more than willing to aggressively look for his own shot instead of worrying about others, although he is still a good passer.

Isaiah Briscoe could also spend time as the lead guard as another 6'3" player with good strength to drive into the lane.

This is more in line with what we have seen from Calipari's point guards like Derrick Rose, John Wall and Brandon Knight, all of whom are at least 6'3". This won't necessarily make them better than Ulis, but we know this staff will be able to coach up Fox and Briscoe and get the most out of them.

Options in Frontcourt

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There is no question the frontcourt held Kentucky back last season. There was obvious talent in the rotation of Labissiere, Lee, Poythress and eventually Derek Willis, but consistency was a problem, and it led to a carousel in the starting lineup.

The constant foul trouble also left the team extremely thin down low throughout the regular season.

That shouldn't be a problem in 2016-17 based on the current lineup. Top recruits Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones should all be able to contribute early in a variety of ways. The Wildcats will also see returning players like Willis, Isaac Humphries and even redshirt freshman Tai Wynyard.

If there is an injury, foul trouble or simply just poor play, Calipari will have plenty of choices for his lineup. It will be a challenge to keep everyone happy with enough playing time, but there will never be a shortage of quality players to put in the game.

Adding in what will likely be some great battles in practice to help everyone improve, the frontcourt situation is a good one next season.

Reduced Expectations for Freshmen?

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Last year was an interesting one for the 2015 freshman class. Murray had one of the best freshman seasons in Kentucky history, but at the same time, we saw Labissiere completely fail to live up to expectations.

This could create an intriguing dichotomy of predictions for the upcoming class.

Fans should realize that some players develop at different paces and won't be able to immediately dominate at the college level from day one. With plenty of depth in the frontcourt, those incoming recruits might get a little bit more leeway, especially at the start of the year.

On the other hand, Malik Monk could be unfairly compared to Murray throughout the season—even with good numbers, he could still be a disappointment.

It's difficult to know what any prospect will do when he reaches the tough competition of NCAA basketball, but in any case, fans should have reasonable expectations for all the incoming players.

Opportunity for Senior Playing Time

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Thanks to so many players leaving early, Kentucky hasn't seen too many senior contributors under Calipari. Poythress was the only senior in the rotation last season, and there were zero the year before.

Darius Miller, Julius Mays, Josh Harrellson and others have made an impact their senior years, but the Wildcats are mostly known for their youth. This won't change much overall next year with the five scholarship freshmen all expected to play early. However, there are a few men who will see playing time before graduating in the spring.

Willis should get plenty of playing time after ending this past season in the starting five. He might have to come off the bench with so many other talented players on the roster, but the team needs his ability to stretch the floor as well as his instincts on both ends of the court.

Additionally, a lack of depth in the backcourt could leave an opening for Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder to get some minutes off the bench. Expectations will be low, but players like Briscoe, Fox and Monk won't be able to play 40 minutes every game.

It will be a different look than we are used to seeing in Lexington, but perhaps the veteran presence could be helpful.

Tougher Nonconference Schedule

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Kentucky is no stranger to difficult nonconference schedules, including last season when it faced top programs in Duke, Kansas and UCLA. The problem is next season will be even tougher.

Kansas and UCLA are on the schedule once again, along with Arizona State and obviously Louisville. Michigan State has replaced Duke in the Champions Classic, which certainly helps but won't be all that much easier. According to 247Sports, Duke and Kentucky had the top two recruiting classes in 2016, respectively, but the Spartans were right behind them at No. 3.

The Wildcats will also play North Carolina, another squad that could be a legitimate national title contender, in the CBS Sports Classic.

Meanwhile, Kentucky will have a travel schedule that will feature a couple of trips to New York as well as games in Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

It will be an interesting year, but the rebuilt team will have to be ready for it.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.