NBA Draft 2012: Anthony Davis and 5 NCAA Tourney Stars Worth Tanking For

The 2012 NBA draft doesn't have a ridiculous amount of depth, but it's certainly front-loaded with a lot of franchise talent in the upper echelon of the draft.

With guys like Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes and Thomas Robinson, the lottery portion of this year's draft has a lot of potential to produce legitimate NBA talent that can make an instant impact in the ranks of the NBA.

If teams want to add legitimate, franchise talent to their rosters via the NBA draft this year, they'll have to get into the top seven or eight picks, and that means they'll have to start losing games like it's going out of style.

Ahead are five players that NBA teams like the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets need to tank the rest of their seasons for.  

Kentucky PF Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is hands-down the front runner to hear his name called as the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and for good reason.

Davis is a freakishly athletic power forward that has the ability to step out and hit jumpers—much like a little-known NBA player named Kevin Garnett.

There's no doubt that Davis, with his absurd 88-inch wingspan, has a ridiculous amount of potential. Once he fills out his 6'10'' frame, he will be an absolute nightmare for defenders in the NBA.

In his first, and most likely only year as a Kentucky Wildcat, Davis has averaged 14.3 points, 10 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game. What's more impressive than that production is the fact that he's shot the ball at a seriously impressive 63.2 percent.

If I was a team like the Charlotte Bobcats, the New Orleans Hornets or the Washington Wizards, I'd start losing games just to increase my chances of landing Anthony Davis and his raw talent in the 2012 NBA draft.

Davis is the kind of talent that teams can build around heading into the future, and that's why he will certainly be the first name called come time for the NBA draft this year.

North Carolina SF Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes could have been a lottery pick last year, but he decided to come back to the University of North Carolina for one more year, and that was undoubtedly a good choice for him.

In his sophomore year, Barnes has only increased his draft stock by improving on his points per game average and his overall shooting percentage.

Barnes' 2012 statistical averages, to the tune of 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, don't adequately display the kind of potential that exists in the way that he approaches the game.

There's no doubt that Barnes is one of the most mature players in the 2012 NBA draft, as evidenced by his decision to come back to UNC for one more year. That's something that will pique NBA teams' interest come time for the draft.

At 6'8'' and 215 pounds, Barnes has the size and athleticism to make his way onto an NBA roster and make an immediate impact at the small forward position.

In the NBA, Barnes will create a lot of mismatches at the small forward position with his physicality and his athleticism. That's reason enough for teams to tank their final games to get a chance at picking him in the 2012 NBA draft.

UConn PF/C Andre Drummond

If there's one position that's crucial to team's success in the NBA, it's the center position, as it's always a difficult task to find a center that is both offensively skilled and defensively talented.

Luckily for teams hoping to find that kind of player in this year's draft, there is one player that fits that mold: Andre Drummond of the UConn Huskies.

At 6'10'' and 270 pounds, Drummond is the kind of athletic center that can be a handful on the offensive side of the ball and a force to be reckoned with on the defense, too.

While Drummond certainly has a lot of growing up to do, there's no doubt that he has the kind of skill set that can make an instant impact in the NBA. He has the potential to be a franchise center for years to come if he's drafted by the right team.

In his first year with the Huskies, Drummond's averaged 10.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 53.8 percent shooting. While that production isn't earth-shattering, it reflects the lack of talent the Huskies had on their roster.

Drummond already has the size he needs to compete in the NBA; he just needs the right teaching and coaching. There are a lot of teams that would benefit from tanking the rest of the season so they can have him on the roster.

Duke PG Austin Rivers

This one might be a surprise, as Austin Rivers wasn't exactly the most consistent college player over the span of this season.

Nevertheless, Rivers is an athletic and perfectly sized combo guard that has the potential to make an immediate impact in the NBA as long as he finds himself on the right team.

While Rivers' first-year averages of only 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game might not be that impressive, he still has the potential to be an absolutely deadly shooting guard in the NBA.

Rivers certainly needs to improve the efficiency with which he shoots the ball, but that's something that he can improve while making an impact coming off an NBA team's bench this upcoming season.

Rivers has the potential to develop into a solid combo guard in the NBA as long as he's willing to put in the hard work to take his game to the next level.

Any team looking to add depth at the guard position to their roster in this year's NBA draft should look no further than Rivers, as he has the skill set to be a legitimate threat at both the shooting guard and point guard positions.

Rivers' versatility is a major reason why teams should lose games down the stretch, so that they can have a shot at calling his name in the 2012 NBA draft. I even think the Celtics should tank their season, so that Austin Rivers can play for his dad, Doc, in Boston. 

Kansas PF Thomas Robinson

Thomas Robinson is one of the most mature and most NBA-ready prospects in this year's NBA draft.

As a junior for the Kansas Jayhawks, Robinson averaged 17.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting an impressive 51.7 percent from the field.

At 6'10'' and 270 pounds, Robinson has the size it takes to make an immediate impact in the NBA at the 3 or 4.

What's most impressive about Robinson is that he has the size he needs to bang in the paint with NBA power forwards, and he has the combination of athleticism and size to create serious mismatches at the small forward position.

For teams interested in drafting Robinson, his biggest strength will be the maturity that he will bring to the team, as he's spent three years in college fine-tuning his skills and growing as a player and a leader.

While Robinson still needs to develop his post game and add some polish to his mid-range jumper, there's no doubt that his frame alone will have teams interested in him come time for the 2012 NBA draft.

If Robinson can help the Jayhawks win the 2012 NCAA title, he could catapult himself into the conversation to be the first player drafted this summer. Teams would be smart to tank the rest of their season to have a higher chance of adding him to their rosters via the 2012 NBA draft.