NBA Draft 2012: Harrison Barnes and 5 Prospects Who Must Declare Now

Now that there are only four teams left standing, it's time for a lot of potential NBA prospects to make their intentions known regarding whether or not they will be declaring for the 2012 NBA Draft.

It's a tough decision for underclassmen to make, but in the case of a few underclassmen, it makes little sense to consider a return to school.

Here's a look at a handful of these guys who should go ahead and declare for the draft now and end the suspense.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Barnes is a top five pick. Even after a woeful shooting performance that saw Barnes go only 8-of-30 from the floor in North Carolina's final two games, his scoring potential alone will keep him at the top of the draft.

He could go as high as the No. 2 pick and as low as No. 5, so it's too tempting for Barnes to enter now and forgo a chance to come back and take a run at a national championship.

Barnes has all the talent to become a No. 1 scoring option for an NBA team, so it makes sense that he gets on that path beginning this year. 

Andre Drummond, Connecticut

Similar to Barnes, Drummond's going to be a top-five pick at worst. He's got an NBA-body and the all-around skill set that says he could be potentially dominant at the NBA level. Returning to UConn for his sophomore season won't improve his draft status any more that where he's at right now.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Sure, the Wildcats have other things on their mind right now, but that didn't stop Michael Kidd-Gilcrist from making his intentions known. Davis should go ahead and do the same. He's one of the best pro prospects in some time and is a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft.

Bradley Beal, Florida

Beal's stock is high after a solid tournament run for the Gators that saw him average 15.8 PPG in March. Teams need shooters, and Beal can knock down the perimeter shot with tremendous success. Is it worth the risk of going back to school and potentially have a bad shooting year?

It's probably not worth the risk, since Beal's likely to be a top-10 pick this summer.

Thomas Robinson, Kansas

Robinson's stock is soaring after averaging 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during the season and a solid 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds during the Jayhawks' run to the Final Four.

He's NBA-ready and pretty much guaranteed to go in the top five of the draft.

He's a guy that can bang on the block as well as soar above the rim. Robinson's been great at Kansas. He doesn't have anything else to prove in college.