NBA Draft 2012: 7 Players Who Should Have Stayed in School

The 2012 NBA draft is widely considered one of the deepest in recent memory.

With that said, there are several players who should have gone back to school for another season.

Whether it's because they would have been chosen in the first round next year instead of the second round this year, or because they are not likely to be drafted at all this year, there are going to be a lot of disappointed underclassmen.

Here's a look at seven such players.

Dominic Cheek, Villanova

Dominic Cheek is not even close to being an NBA player. He doesn't have the quickness or the shooting ability to make it in the league.

His move was odd to me because he showed throughout the year that he couldn't hang with the good players in the Big East.

Austin Rivers, Duke

Austin Rivers was the No. 1 player in the country coming out of high school last year.

In his one season at Duke, Rivers regressed and didn't become the player we all thought he could be. Sure, he had his moments at Duke, but they were few and far between.

He does have the talent to play in the NBA, but he's not going to be a high pick.

I imagine he'll fall somewhere between picks 15 and 20.

Quincy Roberts, Grambling

Quincy Roberts couldn't succeed at St. John's, so he went to Grambling in the SWAC. While there, he posted monster numbers, averaging 22.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

But that was the SWAC.

If he couldn't do well in the Big East, what makes him think he'll succeed in the NBA?

He needed one more year to develop his game.

This year, he'll go undrafted.

Renardo Sidney, Mississippi State

Renardo Sidney wasn't even one of the best players on Mississippi State. He struggled at times, especially against some of the better competition.

I don't see him succeeding in the NBDL, much less the NBA.

I see him playing overseas throughout his career.

Hollis Thompson, Georgetown

Hollis Thompson was a good player in the Big East. So, it's not that I don't think he can succeed in the NBA.

This is a case of the draft being too deep at forward, his position.

In next year's draft, Thompson would be a first-round pick, while he'll likely be a mid-to-late second-round pick this year.

J'Covan Brown, Texas

Brown said he wanted to go to the NBA because he wanted to provide for his daughter. You can't really blame him for that.

But he's not ready.

A little taller than six feet, Brown was a shooting guard at Texas, but is going to have to learn how to play the point if he wants to survive in the NBA. Many mock drafts have him going undrafted, but he'll still at least get a shot to make a roster as an undrafted free agent.

Should he not find himself on an NBA roster next year, he'll likely start out in the developmental league.

Khris Middleton, Texas A&M

Khris Middleton is another forward who is good enough to play in the NBA, but the draft is so deep that he'll fall into the second round of the draft.

Had he gone back to school for one more year, he would be a first-round pick. He'll be a player who contributes in the NBA. He just might not contribute as much as he would prefer.