NBA Draft 2012: 5 Players Who Can Improve Draft Stock During March Madness

Every year during the NCAA tournament, college basketball players showcase their skills and improve their NBA draft stock.

Last year, Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette and Kenneth Faried were able to improve their draft positions with strong tournaments.

So, who will be this year’s tournament star that improves his draft stock the most?

Let’s take a look at five players who can make themselves a lot more money in the NBA with a good March Madness performance.

5. Tyshawn Taylor, G, Kansas

There hasn’t been a better guard in the last month than Taylor.

He’s been more important to Kansas than Thomas Robinson the past couple of weeks.

Taylor scored 20 or more points in 10 of the Jayhawks’ last 17 games, leading Kansas to 14 wins in that span.

His biggest game was against Missouri on Feb. 25, when he scored 24 points and hit some clutch free throws in Kansas’ 87-86 overtime win.

Showcasing his skills on a national stage could move him from the bottom of the second round of the draft to the top of the second round.

4. Ricardo Ratliffe, F, Missouri

Ratliffe shot 69 percent from the field in 2011-12 for the surprising Missouri Tigers.

Right now, he’s projected to be drafted in the middle of the second round, but he could jump as high as the bottom of the first round.

If the Tigers can make a deep tournament run, he’ll get a chance to showcase his skills several times for scouts.

They’ll see how good he is around the basket and how well Mizzou plays when he draws double-teams and kicks the ball out to open teammates for three-pointers.

3. Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Sacre is a seven-footer for Gonzaga, a team that doesn’t get much national attention.

For the last three years, Sacre has been dominating the West Coast Conference, playing in relative anonymity.

Sacre is a good scorer, a good rebounder, a good defender and, most of all, a good free throw shooter.

If Gonzaga can play a couple games in this tournament, Sacre could jump to the top of the second round.

2. Perry Jones III, F, Baylor

Jones’ biggest problem has been his inconsistency. He often looks like he doesn’t want to be playing basketball and just sort of drifts aimlessly around the court.

But lately, Jones has been on a tear. He’s had double-doubles in four of Baylor’s last five games and finally seems to be living up to his potential.

If Baylor has a strong showing in this tournament, and if Jones can lead the Bears to a potential Sweet 16 mini-upset of Duke, he could end up as a top-seven pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

His size and shooting ability have NBA scouts salivating. If he can play with intensity all the time, he could be a star in the pros.

1. Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

Much like Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones’ biggest problem is also inconsistency.

But, when he’s on the court and playing to his full potential, he’s even better than Anthony Davis.

He’s a bigger offensive threat, can rebound well and can even hit the occasional three.

If he can show that he’s matured as a player during a possible Kentucky championship run, he could jump all the way into the top five picks of the NBA draft.