Portsmouth Invitational: Notable College Basketball Stars in the 2012 Tournament

If you're going to be anywhere near Portsmouth, Va., in the next couple of days, you should pop in and see if you can't catch some Portsmouth Invitational action.

In case you're in the dark about the whole thing, the Portsmouth Invitational is an annual tournament that showcases the top college basketball seniors for NBA scouts. A lot of former NBA greats have played in the Portsmouth Invitational, including John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Jeremy Lin.

You can find a complete list of players competing in this year's tournament by heading over to the official site. 

Here's a rundown of the names that stand out.

Kim English, Missouri

The Missouri Tigers were one of the highest-scoring teams in the country this past season, and Kim English definitely played his part in all the fun.

English, a 6'6" guard, averaged just under 15 points per game, and he shot 46 percent from beyond the three-point line. He was at the top of his game in the Big 12 tournament, scoring no fewer than 19 points in all three of Missouri's games.

His season ended on a sour note, though, as English could only manage just two points in Missouri's defeat at the hands of Norfolk State in the NCAA tournament's Round of 64. 

English does not project as an elite NBA talent, but he's got NBA size, and any team looking for a great shooter could give him a look.

Yancy Gates, Cincinnati

Yancy Gates made headlines for the wrong reasons early in the 2011-2012 season, as he was suspended six games for throwing a few punches against Xavier.

However, Gates managed to control himself after returning to the lineup, and he went on to have a very good season. He nearly averaged a double-double for the season, as he finished with 12.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

Gates is by no means a flashy player, but his big body allows him to pull down plenty of rebounds, and those allow him to rack up plenty of garbage points.

He's yet another guy who doesn't project as anything special in the NBA, but he'll get some looks from teams on the prowl for a physical presence to bring off the bench.

Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh

Over the past three college seasons, Ashton Gibbs was one of the most consistent scorers in the country. He averaged 15.7 points per game in 2009-2010, 16.8 points per game in 2010-2011 and 14.6 points per game this past season.

Gibbs gets by mainly on his shooting abilities. He can knock down shots from all over, including from beyond the three-point line; in 2010-2011, for example, he shot 49 percent from beyond the arc.

The problem with Gibbs, from an NBA perspective, is he's not athletic or tall enough to handle shooting guard duties at the next level, and he doesn't have the skill set of a point guard. He's little more than a shooter, truth be told.

Still, there will always be a home for shooters in the NBA, so Gibbs just might get drafted.

Reggie Hamilton, Oakland

Reggie Hamilton didn't play for a major college program, but he definitely put up major numbers in his senior season.

Hamilton led the nation in scoring as a senior, with an average of 25.7 points per game. A lot of his points came from beyond the arc, too, as he averaged 7.8 three-point attempts per game.

Because Hamilton is small for an NBA player at 5'11," he's heading to the Portsmouth Invitational with a lot to prove. He has talent, but he needs to show that he can perform against top-level competition.

If he does that, he might show up on the NBA's radar.

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

Jordan Taylor emerged as one of the most complete point guards in the country in his last two seasons at Wisconsin. He averaged 18.1 points per game and 4.7 assists per game in 2010-2011, and he backed that up with a season that saw him average 14.8 and 4.1 in 2011-2012.

As you might expect from the guy whose job it was to run the Badgers out on the court, Taylor has a very high basketball IQ. Wisconsin's style of play is very methodical, and Taylor fit the program like a glove because he's a very methodical player.

Taylor is an appealing NBA prospect precisely because of his basketball IQ, and he has the size to handle point guard duties in the NBA. He's not a great athlete, however, and his ceiling is pretty low. He showed what he is capable of in college, and there's not much room for him to grow as a player.

Still, he'll get some looks.