NBA Draft 2012: 6 Draft-Bound Freshmen Ready to Make Big Splashes

The 2012 NBA draft is shaping up to be one of the most stacked drafts in recent memory as there are a number of players who are ready to make the jump to the next level and start from the moment the very first whistle blows. 

Amazingly enough, not all of those players are currently upperclassmen at the college level. There are quite a few freshmen who are ready to compete for Rookie of the Year.

Right now, it seems as though nine rookies could end up drafted. In alphabetical order, they are: Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Myck Kabongo, Quincy Miller, LeBryan Nash, Austin Rivers, Marquis Teague and Tony Wroten.

As you can tell from the title of this article, only six of them are ready to make the big splash as a rookie. 

Read on to find out which six they are. 

Bradley Beal

Team: Florida

Position: Shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks

An impressively NBA-ready member of the Florida Gators, unlike a certain power forward prospect who spells his first named without a "k" at the end, Bradley Beal has been able to contribute across the board for his team during his freshman campaign. 

Beal might never be an elite athlete, but his ability to play off the ball and knock down jump shots off screens is as elite as it gets. The shooting guard has a tremendous stroke that has led to more than a couple of comparisons to NBA greats like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. 

Anthony Davis

School: Kentucky

Position: Power forward and center

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 14.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 4.9 blocks, 1.5 steals

Anthony Davis is as good an NBA prospect as we've seen in years. He should be able to come into the league and dominate on both sides of the ball immediately. 

We all know what Davis can do on the defensive end of the court, but his offensive game is actually quite underrated. As athletic and quick as Davis is, he has the ability to create his own shot and display a number of post moves in the paint. 

Remember, Davis grew up playing point guard on the streets of Chicago and has more ball skills than almost anyone else his size in the game.

His jump shot is silky smooth and the only reason he isn't scoring more points on his 65.1 percent shooting is because the Kentucky offense doesn't call for it.  

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

School: Kentucky

Position: Small forward and power forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.2 steals

Go watch Scottie Pippen highlights before you catch your next Kentucky game. You won't be able to stop thinking about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's similarity to the former Chicago Bulls great. 

With a ridiculous amount of athleticism and intensity, MKG can dominate in just about any way he wants to on the basketball court, unless you ask him to knock down long-range jump-shots. 

The combo forward will pull down double-digit rebounds one night and then play lock-down defense the next. More than anything else, I've been impressed with his drive and willingness to let others handle the scoring load if that's in the best interest of the team that night. 

Quincy Miller

School: Baylor

Position: Small forward and power forward

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks

There is absolutely no shortage of confidence flowing through the veins of Quincy Miller. 

The freshman forward for the up-and-coming Baylor Bears still needs to add a little bit of strength, but he's got just about everything else. 

Miller's shot may not look pretty, but it remains an effective way for him to score. As a smart player with tremendous size, he could stand to rely on his jump-shot a little less, but every part of his offensive game is solid, even when he isn't making the right decisions.  

Austin Rivers

School: Duke

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.0 steals

Despite his late-game heroics against North Carolina and the countless other impressive plays that he's made for the Duke Blue Devils, I'm still not sold that Austin Rivers is a future NBA stud. That said, he's talented enough that he easily could be if he continues to develop in the right way. 

Rivers has a lightning-quick first step and an unnatural ability to control the ball completely as he drives recklessly past defenders and into the lane. His knack for creating his own shot and finishing in traffic is a skill that is quite lacking on the rest of this Blue Devils squad. 

The biggest problem with Rivers is his tendency to play out of control and make poor decisions. After a full year of coaching by Mike Krzyzewski and then a summer of familial instruction by Doc Rivers, that could change sooner rather than later. 

Tony Wroten

School: Washington 

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

2011-2012 Per-Game Stats: 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.9 steals

Not too many freshmen can overcome doubts of readiness at the beginning of their freshman season and average over 16 points per game on a solid team with other great backcourt players like Terrence Ross. Yet that's exactly what this physically imposing guard has done.

Tony Wroten is an incredible athlete who plays with a lot of maturity. He always seems to be in control of what's going on, no matter which side of the ball he's on.

Whether he's asked to score as a rookie in the NBA or to serve the role of lock-down defender for whichever team drafts him, Wroten has the tools necessary to succeed.