NBA Draft 2012: 15 Best Guard Prospects

Now that we've entered into conference play in the college basketball season, the NBA prospects are truly starting to shine. As always though, some shine significantly brighter than others. 

The 2012 NBA draft class is stacked beyond belief, especially when compared to the less-than-stellar class of rookies currently attempting to leave its mark on the NBA landscape. 

While the frontcourt prospects stand out more than their backcourt mates, these next 15 players are all thought of quite highly. 

Read on for the 15 best guard prospects for the upcoming 2012 NBA draft. 

15. Will Barton

School: Memphis

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.4 steals

With tremendous size, strength and off-the-chart athleticism, Will Barton has been one of the few bright spots for the Memphis Tigers so far this season. The sophomore may not declare until the 2013 NBA draft, but he's still a very intriguing prospect. 

14. Darius Johnson-Odom

School: Marquette

Year: Senior

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.1 steals

An aggressive shooting guard trapped in a point guard's body, Darius Johnson-Odom has shown that he can score regardless of the competition he's facing. The Marquette combo guard has a terrific shot and blinding speed. 

13. William Buford

School: Ohio State

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.8 steals

William Buford is a tremendous athlete with one hell of a jump shot. He hasn't shown that he can take over the game in Jared Sullinger's absence quite yet, but the Ohio State shooting guard is a talented enough prospect that he'll become a good, but probably not great, player at the next level. 

12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

School: Georgia

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 blocks, 1.8 steals

The freshman shooting guard for the Georgia Bulldogs is a fantastic long-range shooter but he has difficulty creating his own shot. As good as he's been in red and black, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will become even better when he's not the only scoring option on his squad. 

11. Shabazz Napier

School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.3 blocks, 1.8 steals

Shabazz Napier is talented enough that he can record a triple-double, as he did on November 20th against Coppin State by scoring 22 points while pulling down 12 boards and dishing out 13 assists. 

10. Maalik Wayns

School: Villanova

Year: Junior

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.1 steals

Maalik Wayns might not get as many assists as you'd want from your point guard, but he's a talented all-around floor general with lighting-quick strides. Wayns can speed up and down the court with anyone, whether or not he has the ball in his hands. 

9. Doron Lamb

School: Kentucky

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.5 steals

Doron Lamb is pretty much a combo guard even though he primarily plays shooting guard for the Kentucky Wildcats. He's a fantastic scorer with tremendous leadership skills that should serve him well in the transition to the next level. 

8. Kendall Marshall

School: North Carolina

Year: Sophomore

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.3 steals

I had more difficulty placing Kendall Marshall than I did with any other player in these rankings. Marshall is a tremendous passer, but he has difficulty scoring and he's not exactly the greatest defender in the world. His upside is limited by his inability to create his own shot consistently. 

7. Myck Kabongo

School: Texas

Year: Freshman

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.3 steals

Myck Kabongo is Kendall Marshall with worse passing skills and much better scoring ones. 

6. Tony Wroten

School: Washington

Year: Freshman

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 2.0 steals

A 6'5" combo guard blessed with incredible athletic abilities, Tony Wroten has made a huge impact during his freshman season with the Washington Huskies. He's a raw prospect with questionable shooting skills, but Wroten excels in virtually every other area. 

5. Terrence Ross

School: Washington

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.9 steals

If Tony Wroten is big and athletic, then Terrence Ross is bigger and arguably more athletic. Additionally, his jump shot is stellar. Ross' defensive skills and dribbling abilities need a little bit more work, but he'll get there. 

4. Bradley Beal

School: Florida

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.4 steals

This is who Bradley Beal reminds me of. 

3. Austin Rivers

School: Duke

Year: Freshman

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.0 steals

You can't possibly watch Austin Rivers play and not think of his future in the NBA. The freshman shooting guard is quite adept at creating his own shot, even if he does tend to make poor decisions too often. 

2. Marquis Teague

School: Kentucky

Year: Freshman

Position: Point Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 10.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.3 steals 

Another freshman guard who struggles with his decision-making at times, Marquis Teague has been disappointing as a college basketball player, but he's impressed as an NBA prospect. His jump shot is getting better and he can break down defenders off the dribble like no one else. 

1. Jeremy Lamb

School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.7 steals

In addition to telling you that he's a rock-solid defender, I'll simply point you towards one of my favorite plays of the college basketball season. 

Just Missed

Seth Curry (Duke)

Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan)

Tu Holloway (Xavier)

John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)

Orlando Johnson (UC Santa Barbara)

Ray McCallum (Detroit)

Alex Young (IUPUI)