Predicting Which Mid-Major College Basketball Stars Have NBA Futures

It is certainly no secret that the big-time leagues get the biggest stars and the most attention. That's just how it works. Teams such as Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina are able to attract the best talent year in and year out because of the opportunities they provide.

However, that doesn't mean that the mid majors don't have some future superstars too. The so-called smaller conferences have produced plenty of great NBA players throughout the years—just ask Stephen Curry and Jeremy Lin!

This list will shine a spotlight on some names that you need to go ahead and get familiar with, if you're not already. Since there's always confusion where mid-major classification is involved, for the purpose of this list, we're following CollegeInsider.com's mid-major guidelines.

Here are some current mid-major players who will find success in the NBA.

Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette

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When University of Louisiana-Lafayette forward Shawn Long saw his former roommate Elfrid Payton drafted 10th in the NBA draft in June, he set out to follow in Payton's footsteps. 

Well, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the junior, who has already missed two games this season due to injury—he's been battling tendinitis and a nagging bone bruise in his foot. However, despite his nagging injury, Long still averages 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game so far this season.

Currently, the 6'9", 255-pound Long is 49th in NBAdraft.net's list of Top 100 prospects. As reported by Tim Buckley of The Adviser, his teammates think he has what it takes to turn pro:

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'Shawn always has a chip on his shoulder. So, I'm excited,' projected starting point guard Kasey Shepherd said. 'He's always gonna be aggressive, and he's always gonna play. I'm just glad I'll be able to play a lot with him this year.'

'He has a chip on his shoulder because he knows what's at stake,' starting shooting guard Xavian Rimmer added. 'He knows he's trying to get to the next level. He knows what he needs to do to get the next level.'

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Long's size and all-court ability make him a great NBA prospect—if he is able to stay healthy and continue improving his work ethic, he should succeed in the next level.

R.J. Hunter, Georgia State

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Georgia State's R.J. Hunter is off to a stellar start to his junior season, already averaging 21 points per game.

The 6'6" guard is only playing at Georgia State instead of big-time schools so he can play under his father, coach Ron Hunter. He has turned Georgia State's basketball program around and is projected to be a first-round draft pick. 

Georgia State doesn't play man-to-man defense, so there are questions about how effective he will be in that set-up, especially since he is so thin. However, as Robby Kalland of Upside & Motor points out, Hunter's outside shooting ability turns plenty of heads on its own: 

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Hunter is one of the best three-point shooters in the draft. He shot 39.5% on three-point attempts last season on 7.7 attempts per game and is at 36.7% on 8.6 attempts per game this season. He garners full attention from opponents on the perimeter and continues to find ways to put up 20+ points per game. Scouts love his shooting form, from footwork to release, and his athleticism and length make them feel he could become a decent wing defender if he puts the effort into that side of the floor.

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Hunter is offensively ready for the NBA, and could flourish on both sides of the court if in the right situation. 

Ron Baker, Wichita State

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Ron Baker, who began his NCAA career as a walk-on at Wichita State, has turned into quite the NBA prospect, currently sitting at No. 59 on NBAdraft.net's board of Top 100 Prospects.

Baker is a 6'4", 220-pound guard who has been on the NBA's radar ever since he was part of the Shockers' charmed run to the Final Four back in 2013, his freshman season.

The junior could have likely turned pro last season, but decided to stay on at Wichita State for at least one more year. He's currently averaging 16.6 points per game, and is trying to prove that he's both athletic enough and versatile enough to play in the NBA—most scouts have him pegged as a point guard in the pros, due to his relative lack of size. 

With his shooting ability, ball control and toughness, he should be able to transition well into the big leagues. 

Fred VanVleet, Wichita State

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Baker isn't the only Shockers junior who is turning the heads of NBA scouts right now, though. His teammate Fred VanVleet is doing that as well, currently sitting at No. 99 in NBAdraft.net's Top 100 Prospects. 

Of course, it's no surprise that Wichita State is full of stars—the Shockers made it to the Final Four in the 2013 tournament and went 35-0 in the regular season in 2013-14, earning a No. 1 seed in the dance.

VanVleet has been playing point guard during this stretch, and his great decision-making skills and superb ball handling has been one of the biggest keys to his team's success. He can shoot, too—the star is averaging 11.7 points per game.

Matt Kamalsky of Draft Express thinks that VanVleet has enough talent to make up for his (quite literal) shortcomings in the eyes of scouts:

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At 6'0 with a 6'1.5 wingspan, VanVleet's lacks great size, length, and explosiveness for a point guard, but he is a strong, fluid athlete with good ball-handling ability who can keep defenders off balance with his crossover and knack for changing speeds off the bounce.

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Growing up in a rough part of town in Rockford, Illinois, VanVleet has already proved his exceptional toughness and character just by getting this far. I predict that same drive will lead him to succeed in the pros. 

Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

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Domantas Sabonis, the son of former NBA center Arvydas Sabonis, was a heavily recruited international star in the offseason, and quite a big get for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

The 6'10" freshmen—who is from Lithuania and has already played two seasons in the Euroleague—is still working on adjusting to life in the NCAA, but considering he already has 10.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, I'd say he's getting along just fine.

Although we're only beginning to see what Sabonis is capable of, he is already admired for his size, agility, great rebounding skills and feel for the game. He's currently No. 32 on NBAdraft.net's Top 100 Prospects list, and while he's not expected to go pro this season, he's already projected to be a very early pick in the 2016 season. 

Keifer Sykes, Green Bay Wisconsin

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Keifer Sykes is a diminutive senior playing for the unheralded University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix, and yet he's found himself as a late-first or early-second-round draft prospect, according to NBAdraft.net. 

Sykes is averaging 17.3 points per game already this season, and is hoping to earn his first trip to the NCAA tournament with a win in the Horizon League conference tournament in March. As Ricky O'Donell of SBNation writes, Sykes' story is proof that perseverance pays off: 

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Keifer Sykes is on the map now, but it wasn't always that way. A 5'11 guard who entered Green Bay unranked by every major scouting service isn't supposed to be one of 15 players in the country invited to [Chris] Paul's summer camp for elite guards. He wasn't supposed to show up on every preseason top 100 list or start appearing on 2015 mock drafts.

It feels like this should all be so overwhelming, but those who know Sykes aren't so surprised. From his time at Marshall High School on Chicago's west side to his AAU days coming off the bench for a team loaded with high major talent, Sykes has developed a reputation as a player who won't be denied, no matter what's in front of him.

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Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga

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Domantas Sabonis isn't the biggest star for the Gonzaga Bulldogs right now, though. That honor goes to Kevin Pangos. 

As a senior, Pangos has been red hot to start the year. Just check out how much Rob Dauster of NBC Sports was gushing about Pangos in his player-of-the-year rankings earlier in December: 

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We may only be six games into the season, but that doesn’t mean that it is too early to talk about just how good Kevin Pangos has been this season. It’s off the charts. His offensive efficiency, according to Kenpom.com, is 166.0, a number that is unheard of. His effective field goal percentage is 75.7, which is extremely high for a guard, and he has an assist rate of 33.0 and a turnover rate of 8.7.

If those numbers don’t do it for you, how about this: He’s played 173 minutes this season, handing out 38 assists while turning the ball over just four times and missing, including free throws, just 17 shot attempts.

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Pangos has cooled off a bit since then, and at 6'2" and 185 pounds, many scouts don't see the Bulldog being able to cut it in the NBA. But with his incredible ability to move the ball around and shoot the ball with accuracy, he should be a later-round draft pick and find sustained success in a supporting role in the pros. 

Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara

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In his senior season at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Alan Williams is averaging 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Along the way, he's solidifying his case as a future NBA star.

He really makes his mark on the boards, a skill he learned by being an overlooked part of the offense in many of his developmental years, as reported by Sam Vecenie of SBNation: 

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'I'm strategically placed where I want to be at all times for rebounds,' Williams said. 'I study my teammates' shots, and know where their shots are going to come off so I can be where I need to be when the ball comes off the rim. I watch the flights of their balls, and try to move my man somewhere else so that I can get where I need to. But also, I just want it more.'

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Williams is projected to be a second-round pick in June's draft, and at 6'8" and 265 pounds, he should be a much-needed inside presence for some NBA teams.