This article is part of our Conference Preview series.
At Kentucky, the players change but the expectations are the same. The team should once again dominate the SEC and make some noise in the NCAA tournament, while the rest of the conference plays for second and Big Dance scraps. The other 13 teams have plenty of talent and a non-Kentucky player may be the top returning fantasy prospect. Ben Simmons may be gone, but fantasy players do not have to go digging far beyond the bluegrass to find talented stat producers.
TOP PLAYERS
Moses Kingsley (C) 
After spending two seasons as a reserve, the 6-foot-10 Kingsley burst onto the scene with the Razorbacks and provided excellent numbers for coach Mike Anderson. The senior averaged 15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. With center eligibility in many leagues, Kingsley will be among the top players drafted. He had 16 double-doubles and nearly had a triple-double in the Dec. 12 win over Tennessee Tech with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocks. The Nigerian fouled out of three of his first five games, but was not eliminated from another contest for the rest of the season.
Bam Adebayo (F - freshman) 
With freshmen, there is always a bit of guesswork. With a team like Duke and Kentucky, there will be some first-year players who do not make a huge impact even after big hype. I don't think Adebayo will fall short of expectations. The 6-10. 255 lb center should anchor the Wildcat defense and vie with Kingsley for the conference lead
At Kentucky, the players change but the expectations are the same. The team should once again dominate the SEC and make some noise in the NCAA tournament, while the rest of the conference plays for second and Big Dance scraps. The other 13 teams have plenty of talent and a non-Kentucky player may be the top returning fantasy prospect. Ben Simmons may be gone, but fantasy players do not have to go digging far beyond the bluegrass to find talented stat producers.
TOP PLAYERS
Moses Kingsley (C)
After spending two seasons as a reserve, the 6-foot-10 Kingsley burst onto the scene with the Razorbacks and provided excellent numbers for coach Mike Anderson. The senior averaged 15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. With center eligibility in many leagues, Kingsley will be among the top players drafted. He had 16 double-doubles and nearly had a triple-double in the Dec. 12 win over Tennessee Tech with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocks. The Nigerian fouled out of three of his first five games, but was not eliminated from another contest for the rest of the season.
Bam Adebayo (F - freshman)
With freshmen, there is always a bit of guesswork. With a team like Duke and Kentucky, there will be some first-year players who do not make a huge impact even after big hype. I don't think Adebayo will fall short of expectations. The 6-10. 255 lb center should anchor the Wildcat defense and vie with Kingsley for the conference lead in rebounding and shot blocking. He will also be more involved in the offense compared to a player like Willie Cauley-Stein. Fouls and the presence of sophomore Isaac Humphries could be concerns, but Adebayo should be among the most productive freshmen in the country.
J.J. Frazier (G) 
Over his three years with the Bulldogs, Frazier's production has moved on a beautiful upward curve. As a junior, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists to lead the Bulldogs to the NIT. Georgia hopes to make a different postseason tournament on the shoulders of Frazier and big man Yante Maten (16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds). The 6-10 senior may not be able to eclipse last year's production because he already played 32.1 minutes. He hit 38.6 percent of his 3-pointers and scored a season-high 35 points in the Dec. 19 win over Georgia Tech. Frazier is surrounded by inexperienced guards, so he should command the offense, particularly in the early season.
TOP NEWCOMERS
Mustapha Heron (G - freshman) 
No one has ever doubted coach Bruce Pearl's ability to recruit. The former Tennessee coach has been able to stock his teams with top rated talent and it appears that the 6-4 Heron could be his latest get. Heron is a very strong guard and averaged 30.0 points and 8.0 rebounds as a high school senior. The Tigers have a pair of returning double-digit scorers in Bryce Brown and T.J. Dunans (who was sidelined by a knee injury for the second half of the 2015-16 season), but Heron should be the focus of the offense.
De'Aaron Fox (G - freshman)
The Wildcat backcourt of Fox, fellow freshman Malik Monk, and Isaiah Briscoe should be one of the best in the country (even after Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray took off for the NBA). While Monk is more of the prototypical Kentucky wing and may score a bit more, I think Fox provide slightly better all-around numbers. The 6-3 Houston native provided 32.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.7 steals for Cypress Lakes High School. He should be able to lead the Wildcat fast break and help his teammates get open shots in halfcourt sets.
Mario Kegler (F) 
Ben Howland's first season in Starksville did not go quite as planned. Top recruit Malik Newman struggled and transferred to Kansas after the season. Seniors Gavin Ware and Craig Sword are also gone, so it will be up to the young'uns to play. Kegler is a 6-7, 230 lb forward who should get playing time from the opening tip. He averaged 18.5 points as a high school senior and should be able to defend an array of opponents who may be on the wrong side of his tremendous dunks.
A PAIR OF SLEEPERS
Dazon Ingram (G) 
Ingram started his freshman season as the starting point guard for the Crimson Tide. After seven games, he broke his foot and was shelved for the year, so he returns as a redshirt freshman in 2016-17. The 6-5 Alabama native averaged 7.7 points on 54.1 percent from the field, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his limited time. While his assists may fall now that Corban Collins is on the squad after transferring from Morehead State, Ingram could be among the team's leading scorers and rebounders.
P.J. Dozier (G) 
Dozier is a nice example of a post-hype sleeper. The 6-7 guard was given plenty of hype before his freshman season under coach Frank Martin. He had some nice games in the early going including a stretch of double-digit scoring in four of five games and a nice 11-point, 6-rebound, 5-assist performance in the Nov. 27 win over Lipscomb. Dozier fell off in conference play and finished with just 6.7 points on 38.1 percent from the field and 21.3 percent on 3-pointers. He should have a clearer role as a wing for the Gamecocks and improve nicely if given consistent minutes.
