NBA Draft 2012: 6 Players Falling Down Draft Boards

The 2012 NBA draft is just weeks away, and the pressure is on teams to find the right guy.

While college career and tournament performances are valued in the evaluation of a player, workouts and other factors play into how much a team loves a guy, too.

The draft combine is coming up in just a few days, and it has a lot to do with where players will go in the draft. Some see their stocks soar during the process, others may see their prospects dwindling. We'll know in just a few weeks how each player was perceived.

Until then, here are some of those hopefuls taking a dive on the draft boards.

Perry Jones III, Baylor

Just a year ago, he was considered a potential top-five pick.

Things have changed since then.

Another year in the college ranks has hurt his stock more than it has helped it.

One of the biggest indictments against Jones III was how he was virtually non-existent in crucial moments. Sometimes, he would go entire halves without showing anything in important games.

Though his size suggests he can play at the 4, he's been promoting himself as a small forward, according to Sam Amick of SI.com.

Still, he's loaded with potential, and that's enough to keep him from falling too far.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Sullinger was a very solid player at Ohio State.

He fits the bill of a classic "tweener." He's played a lot at the 4 in college, but his size doesn't translate to the NBA as well as one would like it to.

But the real issue here is as draft approaches, teams become enamored with what players could do, rather than what players have done. With Sullinger, potential doesn't seem to be among his most valued traits.

"Upside" isn't a term that has been linked to Sullinger as often as other big-men prospects in this draft.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Barnes's point totals were solid during this year's NCAA tournament. The problem was with his percentages.

Barnes took 16 shots to get 12 points, making only three of them in North Carolina's Sweet 16 game against Ohio. Despite Barnes's 18.8 percent shooting, the Tar Heels managed to advance.

His jump shooting is solid. The problem is his inability to score inside, as Jonathan Givony notes on Grantland.com. Givony mentioned that Barnes had made just one basket in the paint in non-transition, post-up or offensive rebound situations through an eight game stretch.  

The lack of an inside game can hurt him on draft day, but the possibility of developing it could ensure he still gets drafted fairly high.

Kendall Marshall, North Carolina

He's an extremely capable passing point guard. His ability to be a playmaker and distribute is unquestionable. The problem could be the rest of his game.

Marshall isn't considered a scorer and could be a liability on defense because he isn't as athletic as other point guards. But his scoring did get better in first few rounds of the NCAA tournament.  

Marshall suffered a freak wrist injury against Creighton during the NCAA tournament, which affected North Carolina's chances at running the table.

Though it's a stretch, the wrist injury could potentially cause a slip in Marshall's draft position.

Kris Joseph, Syracuse

Joseph is currently projected as a late second-rounder, but that may not be a safe prediction for long.

After pulling out of the combine hosted by the Nets in May, Joseph doesn't have much room for error. You can argue that participating in the combine could potentially hurt Joseph's stock. Competing against top talent could hurt it.

You can argue the other side too. Other players who participated could see a rise in their stock, inadvertently causing a drop in Joseph's. It's a basic hypothesis, but it makes sense.

Andre Drummond, Connecticut

Size and athleticism aren't an issue for Andre Drummond.

There seems to be some risk involved, especially with his commitment. According to Kevin Duffy of the Connecticut Post, an NBA Scout said there are questions when it comes to Drummond's work ethic and passion.

This one could be a stretch as well. In the end, you never know what reasons a team will come up with to pass on or take a guy.