NBA Draft 2012: Prospects Who Need Another Year of College Ball

We're getting close to that time of year when some of the top college basketball players in the country will have to make a decision.

Should they stay or should they go?

Last year, quite a few of the top players in the nation chose to return to school, which no doubt had something to do with the looming lockout. Time proved those who chose to stay to be quite wise.

Things are a little different this year. The 2012 NBA draft class is going to be one of the deepest in recent memory. The question this year's top prospects have to ask themselves is whether they have a chance of standing out from the rest of the pack.

Here's a list of four prospects who wouldn't if the draft were today. They're better off returning to school and trying their luck in 2013. They won't regret it.

We shall proceed in alphabetical order...

Andre Drummond, C, UConn

When you think of an elite NBA center, you think of a player who's big, strong and utterly dominant at every phase of the game.

Andre Drummond is nothing if not big and strong. At 6'11" and roughly 275 pounds, he definitely looks the part of an NBA center.

He just didn't play the part in his freshman season with the Huskies. He was occasionally very good, but a kid with his size and talent should not be just occasionally good. And worse, Drummond was occasionally quite bad.

Case in point, look how Drummond ended his season. He scored just two points and grabbed just three rebounds against Iowa State in UConn's opening loss in the NCAA tourney. He was badly outplayed by the much smaller Royce White.

If Drummond chooses to go pro, he'll be a lottery pick. If he returns to UConn and hones his skills, he could be the No. 1 pick in the draft in 2013. That's well worth the risk.

Perry Jones III, F, Baylor

I was surprised when Perry Jones III chose to return for his sophomore season last year, as he probably would have been a top-five pick had he chosen to go pro.

Jones must have figured his stock wasn't going to go any lower. If so, he was wrong. 

Jones' numbers are, for the most part, right on par with the numbers he posted in his freshman season at Baylor. And that's just the thing. Jones didn't improve. He just kinda stayed the course.

Like Drummond, Jones has gone invisible on occasion. This has been the case so far in the NCAA tourney. Baylor is still alive, but Jones hasn't helped the cause all that much. In two games, he has nine points and 15 rebounds and is 4-of-14 from the floor.

Jones is still in lottery pick territory, but another year at Baylor could help him recapture his top-five status. He just has to earn it, which is something he can do if he comes back and is motivated.

Quincy Miller, F, Baylor

I hate to pick on Baylor guys here, but Quincy Miller has even more of a reason to return to Baylor than Jones does.

It's widely agreed that Miller has the size and skills to be a difference-maker in the NBA, as he's long and athletic and can score in a variety ways. His talent just didn't translate to impressive numbers, as Miller averaged just 11.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a freshman.

Just like Jones, Miller hasn't played a huge role in Baylor's tourney run. He's scored 18 points and has grabbed nine rebounds in two games. He hasn't exactly drawn attention to himself.

Above all, the key issue concerning Miller is that nobody is quite sure what he is yet. Is he a small forward? A power forward? A combo forward? A point forward? A bench player? A starter? What, exactly?

These are questions Miller is better off answering starring in the college ranks than coming off the bench in the pros.

Austin Rivers, G, Duke

Austin Rivers was overrated when he started his career at Duke, and he was overrated while the season in progress.

Now, I think everyone gets the point. Rivers had a solid freshman season, but he's no star. And make no mistake about it, he's not ready for the NBA.

There are things Rivers does well. He can penetrate pretty well, and he's not afraid of drawing contact and going to the line. If only the same was true of all two guards.

The one thing Rivers can't do that other two guards can do is shoot consistently. There were times during the regular season when he got hot, but his shooting was generally very inconsistent, especially from distance. Rivers would have games when he couldn't miss from three (i.e. against North Carolina), but more often than not he was raining bricks from distance (i.e. each of his last four games).

If Rivers chooses to go pro this year, he'll be lucky to be a lottery pick. If he comes back and refines his game, he'll be a potential top-10 pick.