2012 NBA Draft Order: Mid-Major Prospects with Superstar Potential
Schools like Kentucky, North Carolina and UConn produce NBA prospects like factories, but the best players often come from smaller schools.
Don't believe me? Just look at NBA legends Julius Erving (UMass), Larry Bird (Indiana State), Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas), John Stockton (Gonzaga) and Steve Nash (Santa Clara). More recently, we've had guys like David West (Xavier), Andrew Bogut (Utah), Lamar Odom (Rhode Island) and Steph Curry (Davidson) carve out solid NBA careers.
So which 2012 draft prospects can make the jump from mid-major stud to NBA All-Star? Here are the most likely candidates.
Damian Lillard - PG, Weber State
Lillard is a score-first point guard, which might scare off some teams, but looking at the success of guys like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Ty Lawson, I doubt this will be much of an issue.
Lillard is an absolute offensive force. He has a wicked crossover, the explosiveness to finish at the rim and a jump shot that's as pure as the driven snow. He poured in points last season (24.5 per game) at a highly efficient rate (46.7 percent shooting), and he should have no trouble putting the ball in the hole at the next level.
He's also a better passer than his 4.0 assists per game would indicate. Lillard has good vision and he's unselfish with the basketball. There's just not much incentive to pass when your team's best play is "Give the ball to Damian, and everyone get the hell out of the way."
Lillard could go to Sacramento at No. 5, Portland at No. 6 or Toronto at No. 8. I'd be shocked if he fell past there, because this kid has all the tools to be an elite NBA point guard.
Andrew Nicholson - PF, St. Bonaventure
I'm convinced that Nicholson is the next David West.
He's a smooth 6'9" power forward with a fluid shooting stroke and a vast array of post moves. He's a nightmare for defenses in pick-and-pop situations, so he can pull shot-blockers away from the rim, and he's got a high basketball IQ.
He's also a quality defender, averaging two blocks per game last season. He's not an outstanding athlete and he's a little turnover prone (2.5 per game last season), but I guarantee (fingers crossed) that he will be an excellent offensive contributor on a playoff team.
He could go as high as No. 20 to Denver, but if the Nuggets pass, the Celtics at 21 and 22 would probably snatch him up. Personally, I would love to see Oklahoma City (No. 28) trade up a few spots to draft him.
Kyle O'Quinn - PF/C, Norfolk State
O'Quinn captured the national spotlight when his 15th-seeded Norfolk State Spartans defeated No. 2-seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament. O'Quinn was a monster in that game, going for 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead his team to the 86-84 victory.
While that was the general population's first glimpse of O'Quinn, he had been terrorizing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for years. He averaged a double-double in each of the last two seasons, putting up 15.9 points and 10.4 boards per game in 2011-12.
While I wouldn't expect it right away, O'Quinn can eventually have that kind of impact in the NBA. Standing at 6'10", 240 pounds with a 7'5" wingspan, he's got all the physical tools to bang in the post. He can also stretch the D with his mid-range jumper, and he's a very good defender (2.7 blocks per game last season).
O'Quinn will probably fall into the second round, but I wouldn't be surprised if Miami or Golden State grabbed him at the end of the first.
Other mid-major prospects to watch for: Scott Machado - Iona, Casper Ware - Long Beach State, Tu Holloway - Xavier, Kevin Murphy - Tennessee Tech, Will Barton - Memphis.
| 1. New Orleans Hornets |
| 2. Charlotte Bobcats |
| 3. Washington Wizards |
| 4. Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 5. Sacramento Kings |
| 6. Portland Trail Blazers (From Brooklyn Nets) |
| 7. Golden State Warriors |
| 8. Toronto Raptors |
| 9. Detroit Pistons |
| 10. New Orleans Hornets (From Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| 11. Portland Trail Blazers |
| 12. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 13. Phoenix Suns |
| 14. Houston Rockets |
| 15. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 16. Houston Rockets (From New York Knicks) |
| 17. Dallas Mavericks |
| 18. Houston Rockets (From Minnesota, via Utah) |
| 19. Orlando Magic |
| 20. Denver Nuggets |
| 21. Boston Celtics |
22. Boston Celtics (From Los Angeles Clippers) |
| 23. Atlanta Hawks |
| 24. Cleveland Cavaliers (From Los Angeles Lakers) |
| 25. Memphis Grizzlies |
| 26. Indiana Pacers |
| 27. Miami Heat |
| 28. Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 29. Chicago Bulls |
| 30. Golden State Warriors (From San Antonio Spurs) |
