5 March Madness Stars Who Will Not Cut It in the NBA

While the March Madness tournament offers the national stage for players to showcase their talents, that success may not translate to the next level. For every Carmelo Anthony there is a Greg Oden. The transition from receiving the approval of Digger Phelps to Tim Legler is not always a smooth one.

This year we have seen the cream rise to the top, but along the way certain players have displayed weaknesses which will be more prevalent at the next level when they can not rely on physical advantages.

Here are five players which fall into this category.

No. 5: Tyshawn Taylor

The missed layup with one minute remaining last night notwithstanding, the senior PG has had a terrific season for Kansas. He set career highs in points and assists, while maintaining respectable numbers in all other categories besides one—turnovers.

Granted, the senior has played 33 minutes per game, but he committed close to four turnovers per game, which will need to be addressed in the offseason or else he will struggle mightily at the next level.

Most troubling, his highest turnover games were committed during the biggest games. His 11 turnovers against Duke and eight against Kansas State can serve as an anomaly or a red-flag for scouts; I would be inclined to say the latter. There's only one point guard in the NBA who can mitigate his turnover totals with his affable personality.

Taylor has battled to overcome character issues, and seems to have matured. Despite this, his game may not be suited to thrive in the NBA just set.

No. 4: Peyton Siva

Peyton Siva has received a great deal of attention during the tournament, and he is precisely the type of player you must temper your expectations for.

To be fair, Siva is a tremendous defender and has the ability to play pressure defense and frustrate his man. Without him, Louisville would not have made its run to the Final Four.

This is about the next level, however, and Siva must overcome two glaring obstacles if he is to succeed. First of all, Siva is listed at a generous 6'0. Then again, Dustin Pedroia is listed at 5'9", and he may be closer to the height of Pedro's little friend.

The second deficiency is his shooting. While some pass-first point guards have learned to improve their shot, there is no guarantee Siva will. His three-point percentage of 25 percent is deplorable and his two-point percentage of 40 percent is not much better.

No. 3: Kendall Marshall

Kendall Marshall is a sophomore point guard who is a classic example of a good player on a great team. He is not the type of impact player that a struggling team should bank on to turn around their franchise.

While he has remarkable court vision, he averaged a mere 7.8 PPG. He seems to not only lack scoring ability, but the confidence that NBA stars should exude.

In addition to his lack of shooting ability, he does not possess excellent speed which will put a low ceiling on his defensive ability.

While he may average an impressive amount of assists per game, he will be overmatched in virtually all other aspects of the game.

2. Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers gets much publicity due to his father, and his late-game heroics for Duke. If you take away the glamour, there is a player with several weaknesses.

While Rivers displays the skills that will garner him attention as a top 10 pick, that team will ultimately be disappointed when this 6'4" guard begins shooting at his own will. His body language has been questioned, as well as his defensive abilities.

Although he is still only 19 years old, Rivers must improve in many aspects of the game if he is not to be labeled a one-dimensional star.

Duke's first-round exit may not be directly attributed to Rivers, it was curious to see his reckless shooting while the game was very much within reach. Scouts have noticed the deficiencies, and many NBA teams will be scared off.

No. 1: Jared Sullinger

Sullinger displays two attributes which make him a compelling NBA prospect; he has a huge frame which will allow him to play physical with virtually any big man at the next level, and he has the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers which could make him unstoppable if he gets on a hot streak.

Projected to go in the top 10 picks, Sullinger put his skills on display during the tournament to cement him as a legitimate prospect.

What people should focus on, however, is his lack of athleticism. If he will be playing power forward in the NBA, he will be facing guys like Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki who combine the size, shooting ability and athleticism to can over match him.

While Sullinger endeared himself to the country on the biggest stage, that does not tell the future. Sullinger will go down as a disappointing top 10 pick.