Most NBA-Ready College Hoops Stars

As stacked as the 2012 NBA draft class may be, it's still filled with college players who might not be ready to make an immediate impact at the next level. That's not so for these players, though. 

NBA readiness is something that each and every NBA scout looks at, even if it's not deemed quite as important as athleticism, shooting ability, maturity, talent ceiling and a bevy of other measures of evaluation. That said, it's still a valuable trait to be in possession of. 

These players are the most NBA-ready of the bunch and are all ready to make an immediate impact in the Association. 

Read on to find out who they are.  

William Buford

School: Ohio State

Year: Senior

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.9 steals

Now in his senior season, William Buford has managed to tap into his potential and develop into much more of a basketball player than an athlete who plays basketball. 

Buford is ready for the NBA simply because he doesn't really have any weaknesses, other than a slight lack of strength. His 6'5" frame at the shooting guard position should make up for that, though. 

In addition to his athleticism, Buford has a great feel for the long-range shot and his scoring ability should help him translate his game to the next level with ease. 

Jeremy Lamb

School: Connecticut

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shooting Guard

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.6 steals

It's amazing just how quickly Jeremy Lamb has burst onto the scene for draft scouts. The Connecticut shooting guard went from Huskies afterthought—while Kemba Walker was stealing the show—to unquestioned top dog (pun intended). 

A likely top-five pick, Lamb is absolutely terrific on both ends of the court. He's quick, he can shoot the ball both inside and outside, his wingspan helps him terrorize offensive players while they're handling the ball and he's a tremendous leader for such a young player.

Plus, he can dunk over almost anyone.  

Thomas Robinson

School: Kansas

Year: Junior

Position: Power Forward

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.2 steals

Thomas Robinson wasn't even on my list of the top 50 prospects in college basketball going into the start of the 2011-2012 season, but he's elevated into the lottery already thanks to his tremendous play. 

The Kansas power forward may be the absolute best player at the collegiate level right now thanks to his penchant for putting up double-doubles almost every night he plays. 

His body is clearly ready to mix it up with NBA players and a marvelous blend of power and skill (clearly power is the bigger strength right now though) helps him dominate the opposition.

If you inserted Robinson into an NBA lineup right now, he wouldn't look out of place at all. 

Jared Sullinger

School: Ohio State

Year: Sophomore

Position: Power Forward

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.5 steals

After dominating the Big Ten during his freshman season, Jared Sullinger decided to return to Columbus, Ohio and spend his 2011-12 campaign with the Ohio State Buckeyes once more. While his draft position will likely go down thanks to the relative strengths of the two draft classes, Sullinger made the right decision because he's turned himself into a much better basketball player. 

Because Sullinger isn't blessed with top-notch athleticism, he has to rely on finesse, strength and desire to make his impact on the game as large as possible. 

If you've ever watched him play, it's abundantly clear that he's merely toying with the other team and is obviously the best player on the court. 

Tyler Zeller

School: North Carolina

Year: Senior

Position: Power Forward

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.1 steals

Tyler Zeller has steadily improved both his draft stock and his level of play throughout each of his four years with the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Going into his senior season, Zeller was viewed as a power forward who could sometimes play center thanks to his length, quickness, athleticism and all-around play. He wasn't considered elite because of his lack of variety on the offensive end of the court. 

Now, Zeller has added a face-up jumper to his repertoire and he's showing off more moves in the low post than ever before. He's quickly becoming a scary offensive player and that could pay dividends when it comes to both the Tar Heels' title hopes and Zeller's NBA prospects.