For much of Alex Poythress' freshman year at Kentucky in 2012-13, the highly touted forward was projected as a lottery pick in what was regarded as a poor 2013 draft class. But after averaging 11.2 points and and 6.0 rebounds in his first season in Lexington, Poythress delayed his NBA entry and returned for a second season at UK.

That decision could very well come back to bite the 6-foot-8, 239-pounder. After struggling through a disappointing sophomore campaign in which his numbers declined across the board, Poythress, the No. 28-ranked player on Chad Ford's early 2015 Big Board, announced Wednesday that he'll be returning for a third season under coach John Calipari. A good move? Maybe. But ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman believes the forward now faces an uphill battle to reclaim the first-round hype that once surrounded him.