NIT Bracket 2012: Players Who Boosted Draft Stock During Tournament

The NIT isn’t the most glamorous event and there aren’t too many star players involved in it, because most of the time they find a way to will their teams into NCAA Tournament.

Now that it's over and Stanford handily captured the national championship, it's time to take a look at who the competition potentially helped get to the NBA. 

There are some solid players that showed they have what it takes to compete at the next level and improved their draft stock.

With the exception of the two Washington stars—Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten Jr., who are already widely considered first-round picks—here is a look at some NIT contributors hoping to make the leap into the first 30 selections.

Rodney Williams – Minnesota

The Golden Gophers junior forward took the reigns of his injury-ravaged team in the NIT and never looked back, willing them all the way to the championship game before finally losing to Stanford.

He averaged 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 block during the five postseason games.

At 6’7”, 210 pounds, with insane athleticism, this kid could definitely become a factor on an NBA team some day and might just jump into the first round because of his upside and size.

Herb Pope – Seton Hall

The Pirates bulky PF only lasted two games into the tournament, but he made quite an impact during those, averaging 14.5 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals.

He has the ability to play tough defense and protect the paint with his 6’8”, 235-pound frame and was a top prospect back in the 2010 draft, but collapsed with a heart condition.

If teams can look past that red flag, he’s going to be a nice rotation player, at the least, someday in the pros.

Dee Bost – Mississippi State

The senior guard played his butt off in a double overtime loss to UMass to open the NIT, but showed he has major skills by putting up 20 points, 13 assists and 6 rebounds.

He previously declared for the 2010 draft and then decided to return to school. However, he missed the deadline and received an NCAA sanction in 2010-11.

Bost is hoping that the character issues are behind him after a stellar season and can take advantage of the weak crop of PGs in this year’s class.