6 Players Primed to Climb NBA Draft Boards over 2014-15 Season

It's early, but you can still get a feel for who's ready to erupt and jump up boards. 

Some of these guys are freshmen who've flown under the radar in comparison to the obvious one-and-done candidates. Others are returning players looking at bigger roles or guys who appeared to have expanded their games over the summer.

These are the prospects whom we're expecting to either take that next step or ultimately skip a few straight into the first-round or lottery conversation. 

Kevon Looney, UCLA, 6'9", SF/PF, Freshman

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Despite committing to UCLA as a consensus top-15 national recruit, you never really heard Kevon Looney's name thrown in with the projected hot-shot one-and-done freshmen. 

Go ahead and throw it in now. Looney's offensive versatility is going to draw plenty of NBA attention in 2014-15. 

Through two games, he's managed to rack up 37 total points on just 16 shots while pulling in 25 boards and dishing out six assists.

With the size and interior game of a 4 and some ball skills of a guard, Looney's inside-out approach spells mismatch. 

And he's physical—Looney has attempted a whopping 26 free throws in 61 total minutes and simply appears to be one of those guys who's always in the right place at the right time.

"Usually I know as soon as it's shot," Looney said referring to his instincts on the glass, via Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times. "After that," he said, "It's about me getting there."

A terrific rebounder and high-motor guy, a quality that enhances the safety attached to his future outlook, Looney offers a blend of certainty and upside likely to power him up draft boards at just 18 years old.

Amida Brimah, Connecticut, 7'0", C, Sophomore

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Amida Brimah only played 16.2 minutes last season for the national champion Huskies, but at 7'0" with a monster wingspan and active motor, you couldn't miss him.

And now he'll be looking at a major bump in playing time. Brimah got 28 minutes in Connecticut's opener, a number he reached only three times as a freshman. 

Last year, only three players in the country sported a higher block percentage (via Realgm.com) than Brimah. This year, we'll likely see that percentage translate to more production as his role increases. For what it's worth, he blocked five shots in the opener against Bryant. 

Long, mobile and aggressive, Brimah covers a lot of ground from foul line to baseline. He projects as your prototypical rim protector at the next level.

However, we have seen some intriguing flashes of offense from Brimah, who's already a threat to finish everything that finds him in the paint. 

Scouts will no doubt be drawn to his top-shelf defensive tools and impact, but once he starts showing off improved footwork and touch, go ahead and ignite that first-round conversation. He's got lottery-type upside if he makes the right strides.

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville, 6'8", PF, Sophomore

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Montrezl Harrell found the NBA radar last year, only he didn't make a big enough dent. 

Cue the tape from Louisville's opener against Minnesota that saw him drop 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting. 

Harrell has always been a strong finisher in the paint—given his above-the-rim athleticism and physical approach—having shot at least 60 percent from the floor in back-to-back years. And it's his interior presence and end-to-end mobility that landed him in the first-round conversation to begin with. 

However, though it's still early, Harrell showcased some awfully appealing touch against Minnesota we haven't seen from him in the past. 

Per ESPN's Eamonn Brennan, "Fifteen of Harrell's 30 points came on jump shots. By contrast, last season just 6.5 percent of Harrell's possessions ended in spot-ups, and just 4.2 percent of his touches resulted in isolations, according to Synergy sports data."

He nailed three three-pointers against Minnesota after making two combined as a freshman and sophomore. And Harrell also sunk nine of 10 from the line.

Obviously, its just one game, but you couldn't help but notice the comfort and confidence he gave off as a shooter. 

Still, Harrell's interior game and presence under boards remain his bread and butter, as he uses those broad shoulders and long arms to punish opposing frontcourts. 

But if this jumper is legitimate, and Harrell finds a way to sell himself as a potential stretch or pick-and-pop option, we could be talking about a top-10 guy when it's all said and done. 

R.J. Hunter, Georgia State, 6'5", SG, Junior

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After finding the radar as a sophomore, R.J. Hunter entered the year as a potential first-round prospect to watch. And assuming that's just what scouts do, chances are they'll be drawn to his sharpshooting stroke and basketball IQ. 

Hunter has hit nine three-pointers and scored 45 points combined between his first two games. And he's done so with a target on his head. Hunter was drawing two to three defenders alone against Iowa State yet still found a way to score 21 points.

All he needs is an inch. With a lightning-quick release and infinite range, he's got one of the purest jumpers you'll see. 

Hunter also does a nice job of getting himself open off screens to position himself for catch-and-shoot opportunities. 

And early on, he's helped remind us that he's more than just a shooter—Hunter has 12 assists through two games this year, having shown off some appealing passing instincts while teams remain focused on shutting him down. 

He's awfully skinny, but a lack of strength shouldn't prevent Hunter's ball skills and outside stroke from translating. 

Last year, it was Elfrid Payton who emerged as the draft's big mid-major riser. Look for Hunter to do the same as his numbers continue piling up over the course of the season.

Rashad Vaughn, UNLV, 6'6", SG, Freshman

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Rashad Vaughn's reputation as a pure scorer has held true through his first two games, having put up 44 points combined against Morehead State and Sam Houston. 

You just don't typically see freshmen wings this polished. Usually their athleticism is ahead of their ball skills. 

That's not the case with Vaughn, a dangerous shooter in the mid-to-long range who's capable of creating his own shot. 

Vaughn can ultimately play on the ball, where he's a threat to separate into jumpers or attack with either hand, or he can play off it, given his spot-up stroke and slashing ability through the lane. 

He's not one of those freak athletes, but he's no stiff either, while his size and refined skill set both fit the bill of an NBA 2-guard. 

Assuming he continues putting up points as the season progresses, look for his name to start creeping up draft boards as a legitimate first-round prospect.

Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse, 6'9", PF/C, Senior

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Rakeem Christmas might still be more of a second-round prospect, but that's not exactly a knock considering where he's coming from. 

Christmas, a former big-time recruit for the Orange, has been somewhat disappointing through three years with the program. 

However, he looks like a completely different player as a senior—and maybe a good enough one to generate legitimate NBA interest.

Christmas always had the physical tools to make the jump—at 6'9", 250 pounds, he's diesel and athletic. Up until now, that's really been the best thing going for him. 

But through two games, Christmas has flashed some offense we haven't quite seen from him in the past. He's gone from finisher and putback machine to Syracuse's go-to option down low, where his footwork and touch appear to have made major strides over the summer. 

Christmas has gone for 21 and 15 points, respectively, in back-to-back games to start the year while grabbing 25 boards combined. 

I wouldn't get too carried away, but as a strong post defender who rebounds and finishes, this type of offensive improvement should finally put him on the map.