2012 NCAA Tournament Preview: 10 Draft Sleepers to Watch During March Madness

The NCAA tournament is a place, year in and year out, that is full of Cinderella stories, memorable matchups, spectacular performances and moments that are larger than life.

It also happens to be a place where college players put their skills on display for a national audience and for NBA scouts, hoping to attract interest and raise their draft stock heading into each year's NBA draft.

The 2012 version of the NCAA tournament is no different, filled with loads of NBA prospects hoping to either raise their draft stock or just garner some attention in their final collegiate basketball games.

The 2011 NCAA tournament bolstered the draft stock of players like Kemba Walker, Kenneth Faried and Derrick Williams, and the 2012 tournament will certainly do the same for players who take their game to the next level.

Ahead are 10 "sleeper" NBA draft prospects to keep your eye on that could improve their draft stock in the upcoming 2012 NCAA tourney.  

Cincinnati Sr. PF Yancy Gates

Yancy Gates is an absolute beast in the paint when he wants to be.

In the 2012 Big East Tournament, Gates averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 49.4 percent from the field, which is an impressive feat when compared to his season averages of only 12.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

The one problem for Gates all season, aside from his brawl with Xavier earlier on in the year, has been his tendency to take himself out of the offense if he's not shooting well or getting the ball often enough, which is a reflection of his level of maturity. 

During the Big East Tournament this year, Gates looked like a different, more mature player. He led the Bearcats with his efficient offensive production and tenacity on the defensive side of the ball. If Gates wants to hear his name called in the 2012 NBA Draft, he will have to keep playing that way throughout Cincinnati's run in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Yancy Gates has all the intangibles, athleticism, size and the strength it takes to succeed in the NBA. He just needs to prove to NBA scouts that he's worth the risk and his days of immaturity are in the past.

Missouri Sr. SG Kim English

To say that Kim English has a lot to prove in the 2012 NCAA tournament would be a vast understatement.

This season, with the Missouri Tigers, English has solidified himself as one of the best spot-up shooters in college basketball, averaging 14.7 points per game.

Unfortunately for English, spot-up shooters are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and he's going to have to prove that he has more to offer an NBA team than just his pure ability to shoot the ball. In last year's NCAA tournament, English showed some serious potential as a slashing guard, and NBA scouts will want to see more of that in this year's tournament as well.

At 6'6'' and 200 lbs., English has the size it takes to succeed in the NBA, but if he wants to earn a contract with an NBA team this summer, he'll have to prove that he can use that size to beat defenders out on the perimeter during the tournament.

English did a good job of making the most of his opportunity, as he took home the 2012 Most Outstanding Player award for the Big 12 tournament. English has the potential, with a solid outing in the 2012 NCAA tourney, to find his way back into the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.

Keep your eyes on the Missouri shooting guard, as I expect him to make a serious statement in this year's tournament.

Memphis So. SG/PG Will Barton

The Memphis Tigers punched their ticket to the 2012 NCAA tourney by winning the C-USA tournament, and they were led in that tournament by the explosive play of sophomore point guard Will Barton.

Barton is an interesting prospect with the height of a small-forward (6'6')' and the weight of an undersized point guard (175 lbs.). Barton has the explosive athleticism that NBA teams will salivate over come time for the 2012 NBA Draft, but his size will keep him from making a run into the first round of the draft unless he has a remarkable run in the NCAA tournament.

Against the competition in C-USA, Barton averaged 18.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and three assists per game, but NBA scouts are going to be more interested in what he can do against the field of 64 in the coming weeks.

Don't sleep on Memphis when you're filling out your March Madness bracket this year, because they're led by a prolific scorer in Will Barton, who will be looking to increase his draft stock by leading the Tigers to a deep run in the tournament.  

Marquette Sr. SG Darius Johnson-Odom

There's no doubt that Darius Johnson-Odom will find his way onto an NBA roster with his ability to score the basketball. It's just a question of which round he will hear his name in when it comes time for the 2012 NBA Draft.

Johnson-Odom's size and scoring ability is reminiscent of Marquette great Dwyane Wade, and I'm sure NBA scouts will be drawing that comparison as they watch him perform in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Throughout his senior season, Johnson-Odom has averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while managing to shoot an impressive 45.1 percent from the field. What NBA scouts will be looking to see out of Johnson-Odom in the tournament this year is the ability to take over games with his pure scoring prowess.

Johnson-Odom is a proven leader, and he's shown that this year in helping Marquette earn a No. 9 overall ranking heading into the Big East Tournament.

If Johnson-Odom can lead the Marquette Golden Eagles to a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight appearance, there's no doubt that he can sneak his way into the high end of the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.

I'm expecting big things out of Johnson-Odom in the 2012 NCAA tournament, as his future in the NBA depends on his performance, and that's a dangerous thing for a guy that can score like Johnson-Odom can.  

Purdue Sr. F Robbie Hummel

After sitting out the 2010-11 season with a torn ACL, Robbie Hummel has exploded back onto the college basketball scene, leading the Purdue Boilermakers to an impressive 21-12 overall record.

If there were any questions about the health of Hummel's knee heading into this season, he's done a great job of answering them by averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Even though Hummel has rebounded nicely from his torn ACL just a year ago, there will still be NBA scouts that will pass on him because of his injury.  Hummel can persuade scouts to take him seriously if he shows the kind of toughness and scoring ability in this year's NCAA tournament that made scouts fall in love with him before his injury.

Hummel is the foundation of the Boilermakers offense, and as he goes, so will the Boilermakers in the tournament this year.

Hummel has the ability to take over games with his 6'8'' and 215 lb. frame, and I'm certain he will do just that in the 2012 NCAA tournament, proving that he has what it takes to take his game to the next level in the NBA.

The NCAA tournament is Hummel's final shot to show NBA scouts that he's still the same player he was before his torn ACL, and I expect him to do just that by leading Purdue to a deep run in the tournament. 

Florida So. F/C Patric Young

Patric Young might not necessarily be a "sleeper," as he's projected by many experts to be selected late in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, but he's on this list because I think his draft stock could skyrocket with a solid performance in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Young is an absolute beast, weighing in at 6'9'' and 250 lbs.  While he's a little smaller and more of a raw talent than Dwight Howard, he still has the same muscular physicality about him that will make NBA scouts fall in love with him.

Although Young is just a sophomore, there's a high likelihood that he will take his talents to the NBA, especially with a solid performance in this year's NCAA tournament.

In just 26.3 minutes per game, Young has averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and .9 blocks this season, and that's impressive production for a guy with the kind of raw talent that Patric Young has.

I expect Billy Donovan to give Young more minutes in the NCAA tournament, which will give him the platform he needs to put on a show for NBA scouts with his pure physicality. Young has the potential, with a solid double-double performance in the tournament, to find his way into the lottery in this upcoming 2012 NBA Draft, and I expect him to fully take advantage of that opportunity. 

Wisconsin Sr. PG Jordan Taylor

Jordan Taylor's production has dropped off this year in comparison to last year, as he's averaging only 14.5 points and 4.1 assists per game in relation to last year's stats of 18.1 points and 4.5 assists per game.

If Taylor had left Wisconsin for the NBA last year, there's no doubt that he would have been selected at least in the latter part of the second round. By coming back for his senior year and underperforming, Taylor has taken himself out of the NBA draft conversation, but he can change all of that with an impressive performance in the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Taylor needs to remind NBA scouts of the kind of gritty and hard-nosed player he was last season by becoming that player once again in the NCAA tournament.

Taylor did a good job of setting himself up for a productive run in the NCAA tournament by playing well in the Big Ten tournament semifinals against Michigan State, scoring 19 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the field.

If Taylor can average that kind of production while leading the Wisconsin Badgers to a deep run in the NCAA tournament, there's no doubt that he can at least earn himself a spot in the NBA Draft combine, which will hopefully lead to hearing his name called in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.   

Marquette Sr. F Jae Crowder

Jae Crowder is technically a senior, but he's only played two full seasons at Marquette, as he played his first two years of eligibility at Howard University, where he earned the 2009-10 NJCAA Player of the Year honor.

The one thing holding Crowder back, in terms of catching the eye of NBA scouts, is his size at 6'6'' and 235 lbs. Crowder plays the game like a power forward, and while he's done a good job of that this season in the Big East, it's a different story in the NBA, where he would be seriously undersized at the power-forward position.

In spite of his lack of size, Crowder averaged 17.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season, which has earned him consideration for 2012 Big East Player of the Year.

If Crowder wants to hear his name called in the 2012 NBA Draft, he will have to put on quite a show in the NCAA tournament, and I expect him to do just that.

If Crowder can reel in double-double averages against the competition in the tournament this year, he might just be able to sneak into the mid-to-late part of the second round of the NBA draft this summer.  

Missouri Sr. PF/C Ricardo Ratliffe

Ricardo Ratliffe is an interesting talent. At 6'8" and 240 lbs., his size alone draws comparisons to Kevin Garnett, although he doesn't have nearly the perimeter offensive skill set that Garnett does.

The one aspect of Ratliffe's game that could easily earn him a spot on an NBA roster this summer is the physicality that he plays with down on the block and in the paint.

During his senior season at Missouri, Ratliffe averaged 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. While his numbers aren't as impressive as other players in this article, his production is best assessed when you look at his impressive 69.5 percent shooting percentage throughout the season.

The one thing that Ratliffe needs to put on display in the NCAA tournament this year is his ability to score outside of the paint. There's no doubt that Ratliffe can get it done in the paint, but if he wants to work his way into the first round or the early parts of the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, he needs to show scouts that he can be a versatile player on the offensive side of the ball.

The Missouri Tigers are one of the most dangerous teams heading into the 2012 NCAA tournament, and if Ricardo Ratliffe can take his game to the next level, he will help the Tigers make a deep run in the tournament while helping himself earn an NBA paycheck this summer.  

Florida State Sr. PF/C Bernard James

Bernard James is the perfect NBA prospect. He has the size of an NBA power forward at 6'10'' and 240 lbs., and he's the kind of player that can bang in the paint with players bigger and stronger than him.

The only thing holding him back heading into the 2012 NBA Draft is the fact that he's 27 years old. Yep, you read that right; he's the age of most players in the NBA that already have three or four years of experience in the league.

The reason why James is so old is because he dropped out of high school, only to enroll in the Air Force, and then follow that up by starting his college-basketball career a few years later than most players do.

All of that aside, there's no doubt that James will draw the interest of scouts based on his impressive size alone. Mix that with an impressive performance in the ACC Tournament this year, and he has a lot of steam heading into the 2012 NCAA tournament.

If James can manage to average a double-double in the NCAA tournament, which isn't a far stretch from his 2011-12 season averages of 10.5 points and 8.3 assists per game, he can easily command a lot of interest from NBA scouts heading into the 2012 NBA Draft.

If James manages to dominate in the NCAA tournament in the paint defensively like he did this season, with 2.3 blocks per game, there's no doubt that NBA scouts will be willing to overlook his age when it comes to his draft stock this summer.  

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