NBA Draft 2011: Top 15 Super Sleepers of the Late First and Second Round
All the draft talk in 2011 has been dominated by the disappointment of big times prospects like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger dropping out and how shallow a field it is compared to past years.ย There also seems to be a misconception that thereโs little to be had outside the late first round in terms of value.ย Like most years however, there are some players flying under the radar who can bring value to a team that will be available in the late first and second round, teams just have to be looking and willing to take a chance on them.ย
The criteria to be a "super sleeper" on this list is being evaluated largely outside the "SwishScout.com Top 25 Prospects" the majority of the year (as some could drafted in the top 20 that werenโt originally be there before) and bring most the value (NBA contributions versus selection spot in 2011 draft) for their team.ย Not every player on this list may get drafted, but they all should make an NBA roster eventually.ย Weโve already delved into the top players no one is talking about, so none of them who made the list will receive consideration for this one.
That said, SwishScout.com presents โThe Top 15 Super Sleepers of the Late First Round and Beyond.โ
Note: On most players, you can click their name or school to take you to a more detailed profile for an extensive scouting report and highlights on the respective prospect.
Honorable Mention: Jimmy Butler (Marquette), Kyle Singler (Duke), Trey Thompkins, Keith Benson (Oakland)
15. Malcolm Lee (UCLA)
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The junior point guard had a decent career at UCLA but nothing to distinguish himself as a top-tier NCAA-caliber guard worthy of a first-round pick in the NBA.ย At 6โ4โ, Lee has great size for a floor general and sees the floor well but is more of a "shoot-first" scorer than true PG who only averaged two assists as a junior.ย He has potential especially on the defensive end as an individual defender, but heโs a work in progress who needs to improve his distributing skills and improve his below 30 percent three-point accuracy.
Projected Draft Stock: Mid-Late Second Round
14. Jereme Richmond (Illinois)
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If you are taking a chance on Richmond, your team is looking ahead and hoping his potential pans out a few years down the road.ย At 6โ7โ, heโs a player with great size and build to play on the wing but has a ways to go building muscle and filling out his body.ย Jereme is an extremely raw player with a developing basketball IQ after an inconsistent freshman year in Champaign, but heโs a natural playmaker, passing and rebounding the ball.
Projected Draft Stock: Late First-Early Second Round
13. Marshon Brooks (Providence)
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One of the more explosive scorers in the NCAA this past season, Brooks is a proven player who can light up the D with his creating ability off the dribble and solid three-point shooting.ย The senior scorer put up an impressive 24.6 points a game, but perhaps equally as impressive, Brooks is a playmaker with his perimeter defense and length who averaged seven rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks.ย At a meek 190 lbs, Brooks stands to add about 5-10 lbs of muscle, but heโs an NBA-ready player who can bring instant scoring and contributions off the bench.
Projected Draft Stock: Early-Mid Second Roundย
12. Tobias Harris (Tennessee)
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One of the few bright spots for the Volunteers in a disappointing season, Harris established himself as one of the premier freshman in the NCAA averaging 15 points and seven rebounds.ย Heโs a motivated player who works very hard and possesses great potential for a natural NBA small forward prospect.ย For someone who was a renowned shooter coming into the season, Harris struggled with his stroke but has sound mechanics and the ability to hit the NBA three.ย Tobias has a great basketball IQ, and his stock is rising rapidly as a result, as he looks poised to be a starter in this league.
Projected Draft Stock: Mid-Late First Round
11. Travis Leslie (Georgia)
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Leslie is a pure athlete and playmaker on the court that can contribute in a variety of ways.ย A ballhawk on both ends of the floor, Leslie is very active player without the ball in his hands with a great feel for the game by rebounding and buckling down on D.ย Leslie is an explosive athlete who is full of energy and has great potential to be a legit NBA playmaker.ย An absolute steal if he falls to the second round, Leslie has a great overall game and his statistics from the past season are no lie about his production.
Projected Draft Stock: Late First-Early Second Round
10. Klay Thompson (Washington State)
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Some are very high on Thompsonโs NBA future, others are not so convinced because of his unimpressive athleticism and turnover issues (3.4 per game as a junior).ย Thereโs no denying that Klay is one of the best shooters in the nation and has one of the sweetest jumpers in the draft.ย Thought to be fairly one-dimensional as only a shooter before the 2010-11 season, Thompson answered his critics by improving his ability to create off the dribble and get his teammates involved.ย His stock is seeing a push into the first round because of his shooting ability, all-around play and indications of his potential given steady improvement as a player over the past few years at Wazzu.
Projected Draft Stock: Late First-Early Second Roundย
9. Lucas Nogueira (Brazil)
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The Brazilian big man nicknamed Bebรฉ, Nogueira is an intriguing prospect a the ripe young age of only 18.ย The seven-footer has been impressive in past International competition contests against U.S. stars, showing the ability to take over games with his tremendous length and post play.ย
Lucas is a great natural rebounder and shot-blocker thanks to his size and long wingspan but has about 25-30 lbs to build onto his body before heโs able to "bang" with the NBA post players.ย Great young player with the potential to be the next Samuel Dalembert, but heโs a few years away from being an NBA ready player.
Projected Draft Stock: Late First Round
8. Justin Holiday (Washington)
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The older brother of the Philadelphia 76erโs young point guard Jrue Holiday, Justin was a lesser-known defensive star up at the University of Washington. Holiday was the better perimeter defenders in the nation because of his length and lateral quickness, and scouts are hopeful he could be a lockdown guy to help contain perimeter stars in the NBA.ย
Holiday is a defensive star but also a much improved three-point shooter off the catch, and shoot that could develop a game in the mold of Raja Bell in the League.ย Holiday probably has the greatest chance to go undrafted of anyone on this list, but heโs a solid player who could work his way onto an NBA roster.ย ย ย
Projected Draft Stock: Mid-Late Second Round or Undrafted
7. Norris Cole (Cleveland State)
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A player who has been under the national radar in the Horizon League, Cole turned some heads back in February after 40 point, 21 rebound, 9 assists effort in a win over Youngstown State.ย Cole is an explosively quick PG with natural creating and penetrating ability off the dribble.ย Had impressive statistics, putting up 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 steals, but perhaps, more telling was his consistency as a scoring presence for the Vikings with only three games under 15 points.ย For where heโs projected to be taken in the second round, Cole should be a steal for team because of his playmaking and potential as an NBA point guard.ย
Projected Draft Stock: Mid-Late Second Round
6. Josh Selby (Kansas)
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Originally projected as top-10 pick before the season started, Selby is a super athletic, high-octane point guard who was a huge disappointment in Lawrence for the Jayhawks.ย The majority of his game consisted of launching threes and making the occasional nice play for teammates, but his production for KU was underwhelming, and it greatly impacted his stock.ย Now just hoping to slide into the first round, Selby is still an incredible natural talent with great upside, but it becomes a question of if he will reach his potential and how long will it be before heโs ready to lead a team?ย ย ย
Projected Draft Stock: Late First Round
5. Nikola Vucevic (USC)
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Nikola Vucevic (USC)
Unless youโre a hardcore fan of college basketball or in Pac-10 country, Vucevic is one lesser-known names but better players in the NCAA. ย At 6โ10, 260 lb.s, Nikola is built for the NBA and was a double-double machine for the Trojans who averaged 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds as a junior.ย Vucevic is also a solid post defender who can body up and turned away 1.4 shots per game last season. Heโs even more impressive with a budding post game and as a perimeter shooter with his face up game.ย Heโs a smart player and a great natural talent, in addition to being a name seeing his stock rise leading up to the draft.
Projected Draft Stock: Late First-Early Second Round
4. Davis Bertans (Latvia)
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At only 18 years old, Bertans is young player under the radar who has intrigued scouts and seen his stock on the rise because of his potential.ย Davis has a sweet shooting stroke that gives him unlimited range and the ability to get hot.ย At 6โ10โ, he has an outstanding size advantage for a small forward over the defense and ability to get his shot off over just about anyone with a high release point.ย
However, Bertans has a lot to learn as a player and a few years to go in developing into a physically ready player.ย His shot selection is sketchy, and he tends to try to get shots off just for the heck of it, regardless of if they are good looks or not, but heโs a gunner in the mold of Danilo Gallinari.ย He also has great quickness, athleticism and agility for his size, but Bertans is a work in progress as an NBA project player.ย
Projected Draft Stock: Late First-Early Second Roundย
3. Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)
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On the note of lesser-known NCAA players, Jenkins is a gem out of the Colonial league that plays with a lot of poise, grit and toughness as a point guard.ย The Hofstra star was a one-man team for the Pride on his way to putting up 22.6 points per game.ย Jenkins is a nice perimeter shooter but really excels with his basketball IQ and refined point guard play, where he grew in his decision making.ย
As a senior, he cut down on his turnovers by nearly one per game on the way to averaging a solid 4.8 assist with a 2.16 assists-turnover ratio.ย Jenkins has a compact, muscular build for a point guard that will allow him to handle contact and finish at the basket and is a true sleeper in the draft capable of becoming an impact guard.ย
Projected Draft Stock: Early-Mid Second Roundย
2. Jordan Williams (Maryland)
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The Terrapin sophomore stud was a consistent double-double producer at Maryland on his way to averaging 16.9 points and 11.8 rebounds in the ACC.ย Williams is a big body "banger" who is excellent at positioning himself for rebounds and does a great job of boxing out anyone in his area.ย At his size, he moves very well and flashes some subtle athleticism in transition where he is a sure finisher.ย
Jordan is a persistent rebounder with a great motor in the paint, but there are concerns about his raw post game and lack of a consistent face-up jumper.ย Would have probably benefitted from another year of NCAA play but will pay dividends for a team down the road that is willing to select him in a year or two.
Projected Draft Stock: Early-Mid Second Round
1. Jeremy Tyler (Japan)
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Once considered the top player in the 2010 prep class ahead of Kyrie Irving, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones and Harrison Barnes, Tyler took the road less traveled to overseas after his junior year of high school.ย After fallout with his pro team in Israel, Tyler ended up rebounding nicely by producing for the Tokyo Apache in limited minutes in Japan.ย The 6โ11โ big man has a game in the mix of DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors in terms of raw talent and style but needs to add 10-15 lbs of muscle on his frame to support his physicality.ย With a long wingspan and explosive leaping ability, Jeremy Tyler is a post presence on both ends of the floor.ย Still young and definitely needs work refining his game but has a pretty good looking post game with both his back to the basket and from the face up that should improve as his basketball IQ does.ย
A natural rebounder and shot blocker in the paint, Tyler is a very gifted player with unusually high potential for a player projected to go in the second round.ย The biggest concerns are over his maturity and character issues, but if a team will take a shot, they might end up with one of the biggest steals in recent years.ย Donโt be surprised though if a team ends up reaching for him higher than heโs projected based on that potential though.
Projected Draft Stock: Mid-Late Second Round
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