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2015 Kentucky Wildcats Predictions and College Basketball Futures Odds

by Victor Ryan - 10/29/2015

Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis

Kentucky basketball under John Calipari has been the embodiment of the cliché "they don't rebuild, they just reload." Since the "one-and-done" rule was put in effect in 2006, no one has navigated the college basketball landscape quite like Calipari and the Wildcats.

Every year it's a revolving door of star athletes at Kentucky. Lottery picks leave and five-star recruits come in to take their place. This time around, Kentucky must replace seven players that left early for the NBA Draft-which includes all five starters from a season ago. There will be more on that later.

In the "one-and-done era" Calipari has had no equal in college basketball. Since taking over at Kentucky in 2009, the Wildcats have reached four Final Fours, two National Championship games, and won one NCAA title.

Given that success, college basketball has certainly taken notice. Just ask Mike Krzyzewski. The legendary Duke coach largely followed Calipari's blueprint in building last year's championship team as there were three "one-and-done's" that propelled the Blue Devils to the title and then left for the NBA. Even just a few years ago, that would have seemed preposterous for Coach K and Duke.

So the model Calipari pioneered has been proven. Get the best of the best each season and hope for the best. By definition, that strategy can't work everywhere. But it certainly can in the bluegrass of Kentucky as long as Calipari is at the controls.

2015 Kentucky Key Losses and Additions

As noted, Kentucky must replace all five starters from a team that went 38-1 and reached the Final Four last season. Four of those were NBA lottery picks: Karl-Anthony Towns, No. 1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves; Willie Cauley-Stein, No. 6 to the Sacramento Kings; Trey Lyles, No. 12 to the Utah Jazz; and Devin Booker, No. 13 to the Phoenix Suns.

Two other key contributors from last year-Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson-were taken in the second round of the draft. The only Wildcat to leave early that wasn't drafted was Andrew Harrison.

That's certainly a boatload of talent Kentucky must replace, but it's nothing Calipari and the Wildcats aren't used to. Once again, Kentucky boasts the top recruiting class in the country.

The big get this time around for Calipari was center Skal Labissiere, a native of Haiti who prepped in Tennessee. Labissiere is a wiry 6-foot-11 and 215 pounds. He is an elite athlete and creative scorer who has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki in terms of style of play. Labissiere is expected to be a top pick in next year's NBA Draft.

The other four recruits brought in by Calipari-which includes one junior college transfer-were all guards. Two of those are expected to join Labissiere as "one-and-dones." The first is Isaiah Briscoe, a hard-nosed point guard from New Jersey who is also a dynamic athlete; and the other is Jamal Murray, who emerged as a potential breakout star this summer when leading Canada to an upset of the U.S. and a silver medal in the Pan Am Games.

The other newcomers to Kentucky are Charles Matthews, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Chicago; and Mychal Mulder, a countryman of Murray's who comes to the Wildcats by way of Vincennes University in Indiana.

2015 Kentucky Backcourt

Kentucky will have to break in several new faces in the backcourt, but there is also some experience on the perimeter. Sophomore Tyler Ulis is back after averaging 23.8 minutes and 5.6 points per game last season; as is Dominique Hawkins, who was employed largely as a pressure defender a season ago.

Ulis will serve as the Wildcats' floor general this season. The 5-foot-9 point guard, who averaged 23.8 minutes a game last season, is a tenacious defender with an explosive first step who can also knock own shots. Ulis hit on 43 percent of his 3-point attempts and shot 81 percent from the free-throw line last season.

It's been speculated Calipari will use more three-guard sets given all the depth in the backcourt with Ulis, Hawking and the highly-touted freshman duo of Briscoe and Murray. Either way, this figures to be a much more up-tempo Wildcats team than a season ago.

2015 Kentucky Frontcourt

Labissiere was the No. 1 recruit in the nation, but that's not all Kentucky will have down low. Returning for the Wildcats are Alex Poythress and Marcus Lee. Poythress is back after a torn knee ligament knocked him out for the season after just eight games. The 6-foot-8 senior has shown NBA-caliber talent during his three years in Lexington, and this could be his year to shine. Lee is back for his junior season after averaging 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in just 10.9 minutes of court action last season.

The other potential frontcourt contributor for Kentucky is Derek Willis. The junior is something of an unknown to this point as he's rarely played in two seasons in Lexington, but Calipari has spoken highly of Willis this offseason, so don't be surprised if he becomes a contributor.

2015 Kentucky Future Odds

Kentucky is tied with North Carolina atop the USA Today Coaches Poll, but Vegas doesn't see it quite that way. Kentucky is 9/1 to win the NCAA title, which ties with Duke as the third choice behind Maryland (8/1) and North Carolina (8/1).

2015 Kentucky Wildcats Predictions and NCAA Basketball Picks

Kentucky is again loaded with young talent, but this year's team actually brings a bit more experience than recent editions with the likes of Ulis, Poythress, Hawkins and Lee. That can be a potent combination. If Calipari can get this group to gel-which his track record at Kentucky tells us is likely-it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Wildcats cutting down the nets in Houston on April 4.

Doc's Sports Advisory Board has set some lofty standards worldwide for college basketball handicapping. They normally do their best work at the beginning of the season. Click here for $60 worth of free college basketball picks. No credit card needed, and you will never deal with a salesman. Also, find out more about Doc's Sports Advisory Board college basketball results here. And find out a loophole that Doc's Sports has exploited that the oddsmakers don't want you to know about by clicking here.

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