NBA Draft 2012: Most Overhyped Prospects in Draft Class

Austin Rivers is a prime example of a player who is seriously overhyped coming into the 2012 NBA draft, but he's not the only one in this year's draft class who bears this undesirable distinction.

These players are slated to be first-round draft picks, but they have a better chance of becoming role players than superstars at the next level.

Here are the three most overhyped players heading into the NBA draft:

Austin Rivers, Guard, Duke

Rivers is surely going to be a shooting guard at the next level. He is far too much of a ball-hog to let him play the point. He is also completely overhyped, perhaps due to the fact that he's the son of Doc Rivers, current head coach of the Boston Celtics.

When Rivers made the decision to come out of college after a single season at Duke, my jaw dropped to the floor. Watching him play this year, it was clear that he's not ready to handle the kind of defensive pressure he'll get on a nightly basis from the NBA's top shooting guards. 

Yes, Rivers can create his own shot, and yes, he can dunk the ball with authority given a clear path to the basket, but I can't remember another player as overhyped except perhaps Jimmer Fredette.

Rivers is going to struggle to score on a consistent basis in the NBA. His game isn't nearly polished enough to step right in and make a huge impact, no matter what team drafts him.

Perhaps the greatest flaw in Rivers' game right now, though, is on the defensive side of things. Besides the fact that he's going to get owned by the top shooting guards when he's on offense, they will absolutely tear him apart when he tries to defend them.

Andre Drummond, Center, Connecticut

Drummond is going to have to vastly improve his repertoire if he has any chance of not becoming a huge bust at the next level. Looking at his physical tools, you'd think he has a chance to become a dominant big man, but he hasn't ever lived up to his potential.  

The best aspect of his game is obviously his ability to block shots, but Drummond is inconsistent on the boards and atrocious on offense. 

For me, the lasting memory I have of Drummond from last season is his final appearance when the Huskies took on the Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the NCAA tournament. It was the biggest game of his young career, and Drummond went out and laid a rotten egg, fouling out after just 26 minutes.

His final stat line for the night: two points, three rebounds, four blocks, one steal and five fouls.

Drummond is going to be a massive project going forward to become a successful NBA center, and I wouldn't touch him in the top half of the first round.

Jared Sullinger, Power Forward, Ohio State

Sullinger is being projected by most mock drafts to be selected in the middle of the first round. That would be a huge mistake, as I don't see him ever being more than a role player off the bench in the NBA. 

Sullinger, at 6'9" and 265 pounds, should have the ability to play above the rim, but he rarely does. He doesn't have the legs to power through taller, stronger opponents—an unfortunate reality for him as he will see guys like that on a nightly basis in the pros.

Watching him labor to score in the paint against Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey of Kansas in his final game, it was apparent that he is going to have trouble scoring points at the next level. 

One thing that you can never say about Sullinger is that he lacks effort. He is one of the hardest workers you're going to find in this year's draft. Unfortunately for him, effort is only half of the equation.

Sullinger should be a late-first-round pick, at best. 

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