2012 NBA Draft: Grading Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers and Top 10 NCAA Prospects

With the big Duke-North Carolina matchup on Wednesday night's NCAA slate, it's a good time to look at a couple of guys from that game and look at what type of NBA prospects they are.

Already with an eye on next season's NBA draft, the crop of talent is deep and very talented.

Here's a quick look at 10 of the top prospects in the nation and how they grade out as NBA talents.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky

There's very little doubt that Davis will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

He needs to add some upper-body strength and work on his post game, but overall, he has the ability to dominate the paint at the NBA level.

He's a fantastic shot blocker and rebounder, but he's athletic enough to face up and take guys off the dribble.

Davis has the chance to be great.

Grade: A

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Barnes is a scoring machine and just an overall smooth player that can score from anywhere.

He's a smart player on both ends of the floor, but isn't particularly strong or explosive. He will be a fantastic scorer at the NBA level, but his lack of assists and rebounds at the collegiate level is something to keep an eye on.

Grade: A-

Thomas Robinson

Thomas Robinson raises the question on whether it's better to draft college production over NBA potential.

Robinson is a double-double machine at Kansas after backing up the Morris twins for a couple of seasons.

His best traits—athleticism, toughness and strength—translate great to the NBA game, but he's undersized at barely 6'9".

He's very physical and is a great leaper. He's strong enough for the NBA, but is he tall enough? Those doubts may keep him out of the top-five picks.

I like guys that can play and produce, though, and Robinson can do both.

Grade: B+

Perry Jones, Baylor

At the other end of the production vs. potential debate is Baylor's Jones.

He wows scouts with his freakish athletic ability and dynamic skill set.

Jones can do it all. He can jump out of the gym and runs the floor as good as anyone in the country. He can score from anywhere and is a good rebounder and shot blocker, but hasn't dominated the way his skill set says he should.

On paper, he should be the better player then a guy like Robinson, but will he be?

Grade: B

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky

As a wing player, you can put the potential of Kidd-Gilchrist right up there with that of Barnes.

He's just the opposite as a player, though. His scoring ability and numbers don't jump off the page like Barnes' do, but it's something he can work on.

But he does everything else on the court much better.

While he needs to work on his jumper, he's a top-notch athlete that attacks the rim well. He's also a great rebounder and defender with a great NBA future ahead of him.

Grade: B+

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Sullinger is one of the better big men in the country.

He's a strong physical player who gets good position on the block. Sullinger has a decent post game to go with a pretty solid face up attack. He's been a dominant rebounder at the collegiate level as well.

But, he's a bit undersized, and conditioning has been a factor to date in college. Sullinger will be matched up against a lot of explosive athletes who can play above the rim in the NBA, and right now, he doesn't have that in his game.

Grade: B

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut

Lamb can score from anywhere on the floor, has a seven-foot wingspan and smoothly glides everywhere on the floor. He's got unlimited potential because of his athleticism.

He is a good ball handler, has a high basketball IQ, has a solid mid-range game and can get after opponents on defense.

My only question is his strength. He's going to need to add a lot of muscle, but he has the potential to be a special player.

Grade: B+

Austin Rivers, Duke

Rivers is having a very solid freshman season, but he just hasn't lived up to the enormous expectations he had coming in. He's proven that he can be a big-time scorer, but he's struggled without the ball in his hands, and when he does have it, he's been turnover prone.

He's an undersized two-guard and not the greatest athlete in the world. He's got to have get more comfortable playing within his game before he's ready to be dominant at the next level.

Grade: C 

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina

Tyler may not be the best Zeller in the draft this season, but his ability to run the floor, along with an extremely soft touch around the basket, should make him a lottery pick.

He's got very good hands and can extend defenses out with his jumper, but he's going to have to get stronger. Zeller's a pretty good rebounder at the collegiate level, but isn't a great leaper, and it's up in the air if he could be an effective rebounder in the NBA

Grade: C+

Mason Plumlee, Duke

Plumlee can rebound and play defense, and while his offensive game is still a work in progress, he will be attractive to NBA scouts.

He does a lot of things well, but hasn't exactly had a dominating season yet at Duke. His potential will make him attractive, but he's got some work to do.

Grade: C