NCAA Bracket 2012 Predictions: 7 Players Who Will Destroy Their NBA Draft Stock

With March Madness set to begin in two days, all eyes will be on the star players. Which players will increase their draft stock, but more importantly, which players will absolutely destroy their draft stock?

Today we'll predict which seven players will kill their NBA draft stock through the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Jared Sullinger, PF/C, Ohio State

Let me preface this by saying that the only way Jared Sullinger will destroy his draft stock is if he goes up against a talented big man and gets dominated. The way I see it is that there are only three places that this could take place.

The first place would be in the Elite Eight against Syracuse and Fab Melo. If Sullinger were to struggle against a less-talented big man like Melo, people would start to wonder if he really has what it takes at the next level.

The next place would be the Final Four against North Carolina. With John Henson and Tyler Zeller roaming the post for UNC, Sullinger could possibly have a hard time against them. Obviously, Sullinger is much, much stronger than either Henson or Zeller, but if they have their way with him, his stock could drop dramatically.

Finally, Ohio State would have to make it all the way to the championship game against Kentucky for Sullinger to have his stock affected. If Anthony Davis was to simply dominate Sullinger, NBA teams would have to be wary of the big man from Ohio State.

Other than those three scenarios, Sullinger would likely still end up as a top-10 draft pick. However, if one of those events described above takes place, we could see quite the fall from Sullinger come draft day.

Bradley Beal, G, Florida

As one of the most productive all-around freshmen in the nation, Bradley Beal had one heck of a season for the Florida Gators.

However, the problem isn't production for Beal, it's his size. At 6'3", Beal doesn't have the height to be a shooting guard in the NBA, nor does he have the overall skill set to excel as a point guard. That has left many NBA teams wondering where exactly he would fit in on their roster.

If Beal struggles in the NCAA tournament with his shooting or ball-handling, he could find himself struggling to land in the first round of the NBA draft. Should that happen, another year in college could be necessary for him.

Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

As an absolute man-child, Andre Drummond was supposed to come in and absolutely dominate the college level before heading to the NBA. Well, his 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game speak of a different matter entirely.

While Drummond is certainly raw, it simply doesn't make sense for an NBA team to draft him high in the first round. We've seen previous "stud" college centers such as Byron Mullens and Hasheem Thabeet struggle mightily in the pro game because they weren't polished entering the league.

If Drummond can't physical impose himself on less talented players on the biggest stage, he could start to scare teams away.

Perry Jones, SF/PF, Baylor

As talented as Perry Jones is, we've only seen flashes of that brilliance in his two seasons with Baylor. He's struggled to be a consistent scoring threat for the Bears.

With the bright lights on Jones, we could see him fall victim to a meltdown of sorts during March Madness. The problem with Jones is that he is almost too versatile for his own good. He'll often try to do too much with the ball rather than letting the game come to him.

Baylor gets a difficult South Dakota State team to start the tournament, and if Jones struggles and Baylor gets upset, we could see teams be wary to draft Jones.

Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana

As the Co-Freshman of the Year Award winner in the Big Ten, Cody Zeller has had quite the year for Indiana. As it sits right now, he's likely to be a top-20 draft pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

However, that could all change if Zeller has a poor tournament. Remember, this kid is just a freshman and he may not be mentally prepared for the rigorous demand of the tournament.

When you also look at Zeller's overall body size, it leaves something to be desired for NBA teams. If Zeller gets pushed around down in the paint, we could see him coming back for his sophomore season because of how hard his draft stock was hit.

Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The problem that Marquis Teague is going to face is that there is simply too much talent around him for him to get noticed. When you look at guys like Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Terrance Jones, it's easy to see how such a talented player could get overshadowed.

In fact, the only way that I can see Teague rising up draft boards is if he single-handedly carries Kentucky deep in the tournament. If that doesn't happen, which it likely won't, then Teague will simply be seen as a fourth option and he'll see his stock plummet.

This is really a shame because Teague is one of the most enjoyable point guards to watch in the country. Had he gone to a different school, he would likely be a lock to land in the lottery of the draft. 

However, Teague chose Kentucky and now he'll be forced to watch his draft stock get destroyed by his teammates.

Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

While Kris Joseph has improved by leaps and bounds in his senior season, he still leaves quite a bit to be desired from such an experienced player.

His athleticism is still his biggest quality for an NBA team, but he isn't especially polished at either end of the floor. The reason he's gained so much attention is because of the overall success of Syracuse. Had Syracuse had a less productive season, Joseph wouldn't be talked about so much as a first-round prospect.

With that said, if Joseph gets slowed down, plays inconsistently or Syracuse gets knocked out early, NBA teams will start to look at Joseph's age and struggles on the big stage. That will likely cause them to move Joseph much further down their draft boards.