NBA Draft 2012: Top 50 Big Board Heading into Next Season's Draft

Even though the college basketball season hasn't yet started, it's never too early to take a look at the top prospects in the college game. 

These are the 50 players who would look most intriguing to NBA teams if the 2012 NBA draft was held first thing tomorrow morning. Each of them has the chance to move up on the boards (well, with the exception of the No. 1 player), but each can also fall way down if they fail to produce. 

Do note that I'm not including international prospects here, only American products or ones that will play in the American college system. 

Read on for the top 50 Big Board. 

50. Tim Hardaway Jr.

School: Michigan

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting guard 

Height: 6'5"

The son of former NBA star Tim Hardaway, he of the killer crossover, Tim Jr. averaged 13.9 points, 1.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game during his freshman season for the Michigan Wolverines. 

49. Andrew Nicholson

School: St. Bonaventure

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'9"

Andrew Nicholson, a senior power forward from St. Bonaventure, has been by far the best player for the Bonnies over the last three years, improving each season until he averaged 20.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last year.  

48. Arnett Moultrie

School: Mississippi State

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'11"

Arnett Moultrie sat out last season after transferring to Mississippi State from UTEP, but he should be in good form and ready to put up great numbers during his senior season in the SEC. He's been consistent but unspectacular in his career so far. 

47. Renardo Sidney

School: Mississippi State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'9"

The second-straight Mississippi State Bulldog on this Big Board, Renardo Sidney has actually spent all of his collegiate career in Starkville, Mississippi. Last year he put up 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his first season of action after a red-shirt year. 

46. Olek Czyz

School: Nevada

Year: Senior

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'7"

Olek Czyz was a seldom used member of the Duke Blue Devils for his first two years in college and then transferred across the country to play for Nevada. Last season, his first with the Wolf Pack, Czyz averaged 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, but he should be more productive this next season.

45. John Jenkins

School: Vanderbilt

Year: Junior

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'4"

John Jenkins reminded me enough of Stephen Curry when I watched him play in person that I couldn't help but write the following piece: Vanderbilt Commodores Star John Jenkins: Could He be Stephen Curry 2.0?

44. DeWayne Dedmon

School: USC

Year: Sophomore

Position: Center

Height: 7'0"

A legitimate seven-footer, DeWayne Dedmon was stuck behind NBA draftee Nikola Vucevic at USC last season, but he shows tremendous potential. After all, this is the guy who head coach Kevin O'Neill said will "average a double-double next year and after that who knows" and "has a chance to be special."

43. Jeffery Taylor

School: Vanderbilt

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

Height: 6'7"

Now a senior for the Vanderbilt Commodores, Jeffery Taylor is coming off a third straight consistent campaign. As a junior the tweener averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

42. Draymond Green

School: Michigan State

Year: Senior

Position: Small forward and power forward

Height: 6'7"

As a member of the underachieving Michigan State Spartans, Draymond Green put up 12.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game during his junior year. If Tom Izzo's team is going to have any more success this year, the pressure will be on Green to show even more improvement during his senior year. 

41. Alex Young

School: IUPUI

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard and small forward 

Height: 6'6"

One of the nation's most unknown standout players because he goes to IUPUI, Alex Young had a stellar junior season for the Jaguars. The shooting guard/small forward averaged 19.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game one season after a 18.3-point, 4.5-rebound campaign as a sophomore. 

40. Mason Plumlee

School: Duke

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward and center 

Height: 6'10"

The best of the three Plumlee brothers at Duke right now, Mason has a chance to become a truly special player now that he's expected to be one of the Blue Devils' leaders. Plumlee only averaged 7.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore but he'll be a double-double threat each and every game this season. 

39. JaMychal Green

School: Alabama

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'8"

One of the most underrated players in the SEC, JaMychal Green is quite a challenge to slow in the low post. Last year he averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for a surprisingly successful Alabama Crimson Tide squad. 

38. Tu Holloway

School: Xavier

Year: Junior

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'0"

Last season Tu Holloway averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He's an absolutely fantastic floor general and scorer who is only going to get better. 

37. William Buford

School: Ohio State

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'5"

Because of the greatness of the rest of last year's Ohio State Buckeyes squad, William Buford was kind of the forgotten about one in Columbus. Now a senior, we'll have to wait and see whether or not the shooting guard can average 14.4 points per game for the third-consecutive season. 

36. Joshua Smith

School: UCLA

Year: Sophomore

Position: Center 

Height: 6'10"

With both Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee departed from the UCLA Bruins, Joshua Smith is going to see a dramatic increase in his usage rate. Seeing as he already averaged 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, the results could be quite scary.

35. Ray McCallum

School: Detroit

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'1"

After a surprising commitment to the Detroit Titans, Ray McCallum had a somewhat disappointing freshman season. The fact that his 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game are considered disappointing is a true testament to his talent. 

34. Trevor Mbakwe

School: Minnesota

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'8"

Despite the fact that he's now a senior, Trevor Mbakwe played his first season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers last year. After averaging 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, it's becoming increasingly clear that this guy is a legitimate stud. 

33. Mouphtaou Yarou

School: Villanova

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward and center

Height: 6'9"

A junior from Natitingou, Mouphtaou Yarou hasn't had a great season yet but it's coming. Yarou is going to be a premier double-double threat in the upcoming season with the Villanova Wildcats. 

32. Festus Ezeli

School: Vanderbilt

Year: Senior

Position: Center

Height: 6'11"

Festus Ezeli may not have attracted as much attention as John Jenkins or Jeffrey Taylor last season, but he has better pro potential than either of the other two Commodores. Last year the center averaged 13 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. 

31. Thomas Robinson

School: Kansas

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'9"

With the Morris twins and Josh Selby out of the picture, it's time for Thomas Robinson to take over for the Kansas Jayhawks. It's not possible for him to have to endure quite as much as he was forced to go through last season. 

30. Chris Johnson

School: Dayton

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'5"

After averaging 11.9 points for each of the past two seasons, it's time for Chris Johnson to escape the shadow of his former running-mate Chris Wright and take over for the Dayton Flyers. 

29. Maalik Wayns

School: Villanova

Year: Junior

Position: Point guard 

Height: 6'1"

Remember the name Maalik Wayns. Like me, you may have trouble spelling it at first. But after we all hear it throughout the season as he continues to improve, you won't have trouble at all. 

28. Doron Lamb

School: Kentucky

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'4"

With Brandon Knight, DeAndre Liggins and Terrence Jones hogging the spotlight in Lexington last season, Doron Lamb didn't get nearly enough credit for averaging 12.3 points per game in a stacked lineup. With the incoming recruits, Lamb will have to share the spotlight this year, but at least he'll be a part of it. 

27. Tony Wroten

School: Washington

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Height: 6'5"

An incoming freshman for the Washington Huskies, Tony Wroten is the first freshman to appear on this Big Board so far. ESPNU has him ranked as the 16th overall prospect and gave him a grade of 97. 

26. C.J. Leslie

School: N.C. State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small forward and power forward

Height: 6'8"

C.J. Leslie made the right decision to return to school after averaging 11 points per game as a freshman. He'll definitely improve his draft stock significantly this year. 

25. Kris Joseph

School: Syracuse

Year: Senior

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'7"

Kris Joseph has demonstrated an ability to consistently improve throughout his collegiate career, one that he'd love to keep going throughout his senior season after averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a junior.  

24. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

School: Georgia

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'4"

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the Georgia Bulldogs top incoming recruit and he'll immediately start at shooting guard for the Dawgs. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect with a grade of 96. 

23. LeBryan Nash

School: Oklahoma State

Year: Freshman

Position: Small forward 

Height: 6'7"

LeBryan Nash, the owner of the best basketball name ever, will be an incoming freshman at Oklahoma State. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect with a grade of 97.

22. Josiah Turner

School: Arizona

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'3"

An incoming point guard for the Arizona Wildcats, Josiah Turner probably wishes that he could have an opportunity to pass to Derrick Williams. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect with a grade of 97. 

21. Adonis Thomas

School: Memphis

Year: Freshman

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'7"

An incoming small forward for the Memphis Tigers, Adonis Thomas hopes that his basketball skills can match the mythological Adonis' looks. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect with a grade of 97. 

20. Terrence Ross

School: Washington

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'6"

Despite playing in the shadow of Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning last season, Terrence Ross still managed to average 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as a freshman. He'll be in line for a lot more minutes and a lot more production as a sophomore. 

19. Patric Young

School: Florida

Year: Sophomore

Position: Center and power forward

Height: 6'9"

Patric Young didn't get too many opportunities to shine as a freshman for the Florida Gators, but he and Brad Beal will combine to form quite the dynamic duo in Gainesville this next season. Young did shoot nearly 56 percent from the field last year in limited minutes. 

18. Tyler Zeller

School: North Carolina

Year: Senior

Position: Power forward and center

Height: 7'0"

This seven-footer for the North Carolina Tar Heels was a relatively obscure major player in the college basketball scene last season. Tyler Zeller averaged 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior as he showed a drastic improvement from both his sophomore and freshman campaigns. 

17. Kendall Marshall

School: North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'3"

The lefty point guard was absolutely incredible last season as soon as he received a starting nod. With alley-oop passes galore, Kendall Marshall proved that he could be the next big thing for the Tar Heels despite the fact that his overall numbers don't look to impressive on the surface level. 

16. John Henson

School: North Carolina

Year: Junior

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'10"

The third-straight North Carolina Tar Heel to appear on the Big Board, John Henson is a shot-blocker extraordinaire. After all, he averaged an incredible 3.2 blocks per game as a sophomore. 

15. Terrence Jones

School: Kentucky

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small forward and power forward

Height: 6'8"

As soon as Terrence Jones learns how to go to his right, he'll be a force to be reckoned with. As a freshman, Jones was already able to average 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Kentucky Wildcats. 

14. Myck Kabongo

School: Texas

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'1"

The only man who can rival LeBryan Nash in the name department is incoming Texas point guard Myck Kabongo. I just want to yell his name over and over. ESPNU has Kabongo ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect with a grade of 97. 

13. Brad Beal

School: Florida

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'4"

Brad Beal is an incredible shooting guard prospect out of Chaminade College Prep School who will make an immediate impact with the Florida Gators. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect with a grade of 98. 

12. Quincy Miller

School: Baylor

Year: Freshman

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'9"

Doesn't it seem as though Quincy Miller is the millionth highly-touted incoming freshman at Baylor in recent years? ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect with a grade of 98. 

11. Khris Middleton

School: Texas A&M

Year: Junior

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'7"

With the extra "h" in his name, Khris Middleton had a very productive sophomore season at College Station. The small forward averaged 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and will only be better as a junior. 

10. Jeremy Lamb

School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

Height: 6'5"

Lost in Kemba-mania was just how good Jeremy Lamb played as a freshman for the Connecticut Huskies. He averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds over the course of the season but played remarkably better during the NCAA Tournament. With Kemba out of the way, Lamb is going to be used a lot more. 

9. Michael Gilchrist

School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'7"

A very versatile small forward, Michael Gilchrist is most likely going to be another graduate of John Calipari's one-and-done system. Although, come to think of it, maybe graduate is the wrong word to use there. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect with a grade of 98. 

8. Austin Rivers

School: Duke

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting guard

Height: 6'4"

Austin Rivers has every tool in the world and should be tremendously successful playing for Mike Krzyzewski. Personally, I can't wait to watch him play. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect with a grade of 98. 

7. Marquis Teague

School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard

Height: 6'2"

Marquis Teague hopes to follow in his older brother Jeff Teague's footsteps as an incredible college basketball point guard. ESPNU believes he can do it as the site has him as the No. 7 overall prospect with a grade of 97.  

6. Perry Jones

School: Baylor

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'11"

A lot of people were surprised when Perry Jones decided to return for his sophomore season. But to be fair, he definitely didn't live up to the expectations placed upon him when he came out of high school. The incredibly athletic forward averaged 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a freshman. 

5. James McAdoo

School: North Carolina

Year: Freshman

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'8"

Yet another North Carolina Tar Heel on the Board, James McAdoo won't be the last one to appear. The highly-touted power forward will immediately contribute in powder blue. ESPNU has him ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect with a grade of 98. 

4. Jared Sullinger

School: Ohio State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'9"

It was an incredibly surprising piece of news when Jared Sullinger decided to return to the Ohio State Buckeyes for his sophomore year. After all, Sullinger was one of the best players in the country, averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while carrying the Buckeyes at times. He's only going to be better as a sophomore. 

3. Andre Drummond

School: Undecided

Year: High school senior

Position: Power forward and center

Height: 6'10"

Andre Drummond is still a high schooler, but he's found a loophole in the NBA rules that will allow him to play professionally before he ever plays collegiately. That said, Drummond still released a list of schools that he may attend if he chooses to play in college. ESPNU does have the big man ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2012 class with a grade of 98. 

2. Harrison Barnes

School: North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Position: Small forward

Height: 6'8"

After a bit of a disappointing season, Harrison Barnes broke out in a big way during the ACC Conference Tournament and NCAA Tournament. He finished the season averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Tar Heels. Barnes absolutely has the talent necessary to carry North Carolina to a championship and rise to the top overall pick in next year's draft. 

1. Anthony Davis

School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Power forward

Height: 6'10"

Anthony Davis has boatloads of talent and he'll be on full display for the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2011-2012 season. ESPNU has him ranked as the top prospect in the 2011 recruiting class with a grade of 98. 

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Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on  Twitter.

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