NBA Draft 2012: Small-School Studs Who Will Make an Impact at the Next Level

With Kentucky's starting five announcing its intention to enter the NBA Draft, much of the attention is currently on the big-program stars. That is most definitely for good reason as those are the players who are going to be taken early in the draft and will likely be the ones to lead their teams for the next decade or more.

There are plenty of lesser-known talents in this year's draft who have the ability to make some noise in the professional ranks, though. There aren't many small-school players with a first-round grade currently, but the ones who are expected to go in the first round have a ton of ability and just haven't gotten the opportunity to showcase it on the big stage.

Here are three small-school prospects who may not be hyped much right now, but will make an impact at the NBA level.

Andrew Nicholson, F, St. Bonaventure

Although he gained some notoriety late in his senior season by leading St. Bonaventure to the Atlantic-10 Championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament, Andrew Nicholson is still a relative unknown.

The Bonnies' star has an NBA body at 6'9" and 240 lbs., and he was a productive player from day one of his collegiate career. In terms of versatility, there may not be a forward in the entire draft who can do more than him aside from perhaps Anthony Davis.

Not only did Nicholson shoot at least 56 percent from the floor in each of his four seasons at St. Bona, but he averaged at least 18.5 points per game in each of his last two seasons and set a career high in rebounding as a senior with 8.4 per contest.

If that weren't enough, Nicholson added the three-point shot into his arsenal as an upperclassman. He didn't attempt a single three in his first two seasons, but became a threat from outside this past season with a conversion rate of 43.4 percent.

He is a threat both inside and outside, and that makes him a very valuable commodity late in the first round.

Damian Lillard, G, Weber State

Widely considered to be the top small-school prospect in the draft, Weber State point guard Damian Lillard is a projected top-10 pick in many early mock drafts. There is no question that his competition level left something to be desired, but he was one of the most prolific scoring point guards in all of college basketball over the past three seasons.

In a lot of ways his instincts suggest that he would be a better shooting guard, but at 6'2" and under 200 lbs., he will likely be limited to the point guard position. That may cause some teams to look past him, but that's a big mistake.

Lillard did it all this past season at Weber State as he averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists per game. He was also extremely efficient as he shot nearly 47 percent from the field, 41 percent from beyond the arc and a blistering 89 percent from the charity stripe.

Lillard is a pure scorer with playmaking ability as well, so his game figures to translate well. He is a rare talent, and teams shouldn't let his college affiliation influence their decision too much.

Mitchell Watt, F, Buffalo

Most mock drafts don't even list him as being drafted and the ones that do project him as one of the final picks in the draft, but Buffalo forward Mitchell Watt has a skill set that NBA teams covet.

There is no question that he can afford to add some bulk to his 6'10", 225-lb. frame, but the reigning MAC Player of the Year is the type of player that every coach would love to have. He has opened a lot of eyes with his performance in the Portsmouth Invitational as his defensive prowess is on display with over four blocks per contest.

Watt made an incredible leap in productivity from his junior year to his senior year as he averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Not only could he take the game over defensively, but he could do it on the offensive end as well with a great hook shot and an effective jumper to keep defenses honest.

Most players who are selected late in the second round don't become stars, but they can be great energy players who are valuable to a team's rotation, and Watt has that type of potential.