NBA Draft 2014: College Seniors with the Best Chance to Start

Early departures by college basketball's top underclassmen are dominating much of the talk surrounding the NBA draft right now, which is no surprise. The one-and-done superstars tend to be the most coveted of the draft prospects, so when they officially declare, it provides a great opportunity to discuss their skills and upside.

The discussion is much different when it comes to college seniors—players who are eligible for the NBA draft by default rather than by choice. A guy who stuck around all four years can't possibly be that good, can he? If he was, he would have left early, right?

Those are the kinds of arguments people make about senior draft prospects, and that's just what they say about the really good ones.

The 2014 draft class has been hyped as one of the best ever, but that's not just because of all the freshman phenoms and superstar sophomores. The class also includes some of the most polished and ready-to-contribute seniors, many of whom chose to stick it out in college for one more year instead of testing the pros with an unfinished product.

That decision could pay off in terms of both draft position and starting opportunities. Three seniors in particular could be major contributors as rookies.

Doug McDermott, Creighton

Doug McDermott is maybe the most famous college senior in a decade thanks to a variety of factors, not the least of which was his assault on the NCAA career scoring list. But the most important ones—those that will get him a chance to start in the NBA—are his ability to create his own shot and his unrelenting hustle.

The 6'7" McDermott is like a smaller Dirk Nowitzki when it comes to his shot selection and creativity, but he also shows the intensity of a Glen Rice when it comes to chasing after a loose ball or a long rebound.

McDermott has heard those comparisons and others, and he's fine with them, according to a radio interview he did on The Dan Patrick Show in February.

"I don't mind Wally Szczerbiak. I think that's a decent one," McDermott said. "I've heard Antawn Jamison, Jared Dudley."

NBADraft.net pegs McDermott closest to former NBA sharpshooter Tracy Murray, and that site has him pegged to go No. 10 to Philadelphia in its most recent mock draft. As is the case for any player, where McDermott ends up will have a big effect on his impact.

Because he's more of a slasher and a shooter than an inside player, McDermott needs a team that doesn't need post play from him. Though he was able to do that effectively in college, he won't be backing up into 6'6" forwards in the NBA.

Adreian Payne, Michigan State

At 6'10" and 245 pounds, Adreian Payne has the kind of body that, with a little more muscle, should be able to hold its own down on the blocks in the NBA. But it's his improved outside shooting that really has him looking like a solid pro prospect.

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Payne took 104 three-pointers during the 2013-14 season—compared to 45 in his first three years at Michigan State—and as a senior, he shot 42 percent from outside. Sure, there are a lot of big men in the NBA who can hit the long ball, but how many of them also can bang it up down low?

According to Jerry Meyer, director of basketball scouting for 247Sports, that combination of inside and outside play makes him a perfect pro player:

Payne shot 53.6 percent on two-point shots, and those ran the gamut from layups and post-up shots to mid-range jumpers. He missed seven games in January and early February with a foot injury, but he somehow came back from the ailment better than before.

Mock drafts by CBSSports.com's experts have Payne going anywhere from 13th to 26th, but those projections were made in late March. His work at the draft combine and other individual workouts could boost him further up the list, especially once teams see how hard he works at every part of his game.

Shabazz Napier, Connecticut

It's usually the underclassmen who use the NCAA tournament as a major springboard for their draft stock, but in the 2014 tourney, no player improved his pro chances as much as Shabazz Napier.

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Much like former UConn teammate Kemba Walker, who parlayed a monster run through the 2011 tourney into the No. 9 pick, Napier became a one-man wrecking crew, leading the Huskies to their second NCAA title in four years.

Napier averaged 21.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals while making 20 of 43 three-pointers and an absolutely clutch 31 of 33 free throws during the NCAA tourney. Those numbers, along with Napier's demeanor and intensity during the postseason, prompted LeBron James to take to Twitter with a succinct analysis of Napier's game:

As fate would have it, Bleacher Report's Josh Cohen projects Napier as a late first-round pick, going No. 27 to James' Miami Heat, while NBADraft.net has Napier going No. 24 to Charlotte.