Whether it's a highly-ranked freshman or a highly-regarded transfer, new roster additions often help fuel fans' hope and excitement heading into a new season. They bring the feeling that a missing championship piece just showed up.

Before celebrating those new arrivals, however, take a few minutes to remember some old ones who got sidetracked. Players returning from injuries or academics could provide a big boost to the roster from a familiar face.

Here are five of those situations to keep an eye on:

1. Alex Poythress, F, Kentucky

The Wildcats’ season won’t rest on how well Poythress recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee -- they’ve got many other skilled players such as freshman center Skal Labissiere. But Poythress could return to the numbers he put up as a freshmen, when he averaged 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Last year, Poythress started the first eight games before suffering his injury during practice and averaged just 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as coach John Calipari cut minutes while tapping into his deep roster. UK won’t be quite as deep this season, meaning if Poythress proves to be fully healthy he can make an impact. To that end, Calipari said last month that he’d use Poythress his natural position of power forward rather than at small forward, where he’s been most of his career.

Getting Caris LeVert (pictured) and Derrick Walton Jr. back could make Michigan a sleeper pick in the Big Ten. Carlos Osorio/AP

2. Caris LeVert, G/Derrick Walton Jr., G, Michigan

Okay, so choosing both LeVert and Walton makes our math a little off here, but it’s hard to separate their impacts. LeVert missed the final 14 games of last season with a broken left foot. At the time of his injury, he led Michigan in scoring, rebounding and assists. The 6-foot-7 guard flirted with declaring for the NBA draft to the point that he twice sent applications to the NBA advisory committee.

A left foot injury sidelined Walton for last 12 games of last season. The 6-foot-1 point guard was averaging 10.7 points, which made him third-highest on the team. His experience directing the offense will be invaluable as the Wolverines, who return nine players from last season's rotation, could be a sleeper pick in the Big Ten.

3. Keith Frazier, G, SMU

The NCAA just cleared the 6-foot-5 junior guard earlier this month to return after he missed 17 games for academic reasons last season. His 10.5 points per game will be a welcomed addition for a team that sometimes struggled to score. His pairing with point guard Nic Moore will give the Mustangs one of the better backcourt pairings in the American Athletic Conference. But SMU still faces some ripples from Frazier’s case. The NCAA could still hand coach Larry Brown a lack of control charge due to allegations that former assistant coach Ulric Maligi and a basketball secretary assisted Frazier with coursework.

4. Josh Perkins, G, Gonzaga

Bulldogs coach Mark Few wanted groom Perkins last season to take over the starting point guard spot for Kevin Pangos this season. Five games in, Perkins’ potential spoke toward a bright future, but the freshman suffered a broken jaw that ended his season before the end of November. The Bulldogs will have a frontcourt led by Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis that will be a tough matchup for opponents. The pressure will be on Perkins and an inexperienced backcourt to deliver.

5. Jake Belford, F, Davidson

First thought when reading this name is probably ‘Who is Jake Belford?’ Davidson’s opponents will know him as just another one of the Wildcats' big men who can stretch defenses with his outside shooting. The 6-foot-9 junior forward started the first six games last season before a knee injury took him out of the lineup. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range. Belford’s return will keep the Wildcats on the list of mid-major programs the power conference schools don’t want any part of playing.