Portsmouth Invitational 2012: College Stars Who Will Shine in Key Tournament

The Portsmouth Invitational provides college basketball seniors a terrific opportunity to showcase their skills to scouts. Most of the players in the tournament aren't considered elite prospects, but are rather attempting to prove they can hold their own at the next level.

Let's take a look at three players who will steal the spotlight during the event, which will be celebrating its 60th year. The strong showings will boost their stocks moving forward.

Kyle Kuric

Kuric helped lead Louisville to the Final Four before losing to eventual national champion Kentucky. The Cardinals' leading scorer in his final season, Kuric averaged 13 points and was the team's biggest threat from beyond the arc.

He isn't just a one-trick pony, though. The swingman added more diversity to his game during his final season at Louisville, which was necessary to make him a more attractive prospect. His improvement was also a major reason for the team's surprising run.

Kuric will play with a talented backcourt that includes Ashton Gibbs of Pittsburgh and Kim English of Missouri, so they should have no trouble putting up points. That should allow Kuric to stand out.

Yancy Gates

Big things were expected from Gates at Cincinnati after averaging 11 points and six rebounds as a freshman, but his offensive game never developed like many expected. Due to that, this tournament gives him a chance to illustrate the progress he did make.

His size and strength should give Gates an advantage in the low post. As long as he brings his usual intensity to the table, there's no reason he shouldn't dominate in the paint. Working hard is always more important than talent in these tournaments.

Gates can also help his cause by stepping up as a leader. His team has a lot of mid-major stars, so he should attempt to lead the way after gaining so much big-game experience.

Garrett Stutz

Stutz was a major reason for Wichita State's regular-season success, so it's not a surprise the Shockers were eliminated in their opening-round game after he struggled. He shouldn't have much trouble bouncing back to have a good performance in Portsmouth.

Efficiency was the most impressive aspect of his game in college. Stutz was able to have a huge impact on games even though he took less than 10 shots per game. He shot 54 percent from the field and grabbed eight rebounds on average, in addition to being a solid defender.

Since Stutz played at a smaller school, the tournament provides him a chance to show he can handle tougher competition. Using the Shockers' disappointment as fuel, he should dominate.