Top 2015 NBA Draft Prospects to Watch in Every Major NCAA Conference Tournament

Conference tournament time raises the stakes for the top prospects in the 2015 NBA draft.

The college hoops season reaches a whole new level of competitiveness at this time of year, and it often brings out the best in each league's prime performers. A handful of intriguing prospects compete in every major conference, but who are the top studs to watch in each one?

Towering big men with loads of potential lead the ACC, SEC and Big 12. Meanwhile, the Big Ten and Big East feature a couple of the most dazzling point guards in the country.

We determined the top prospect in each conference based on NBA upside, and we also factored in skill development and statistical production.

Will their talents and strengths be enough to carry their squads during crunch time? Will any of these youngsters fall short and expose major weaknesses?

They rose to the peak of their conferences' draft charts with huge production and brilliant playmaking in the regular season. 

Let's see what other tricks they have in store as March Madness erupts.

Atlantic Coast: Jahlil Okafor, Duke C (6'11", Freshman)

USA TODAY Sports

2014-15 Stats: 30.7 MPG, 17.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.4 BPG, .668 FG%, .524 FT%

Advanced Stats: 30.8 PER, .645 TS%, 26.9 Usage%, 17.5 REB%, 10.2 AST%, 4.2 BLK%

As the freshly crowned ACC Player of the Year, per ESPN.com, Duke's Jahlil Okafor remains the clear-cut prize of the conference.

He wrapped up the regular season with a 7-of-9 shooting night in the Blue Devils' win over North Carolina, showcasing the efficiency and interior dominance NBA scouts love.

You can debate whether he should land No. 1 overall in June—Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell are worthy competitors—but you can't deny that Okafor will be an excellent low-post weapon in the Association.

"Executives and scouts generally figure chances are very good he will score inside at a high rate in the pros, similar to the success of Charlotte's Al Jefferson, the player to whom Okafor is most often compared," said Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.

Who is the other player Okafor reminds people of? Tim Duncan, whose footwork and timing in the paint have lasted the test of time.

Okafor won't wow you on defense, and his free-throw shooting needs work (52 percent). But you have to tune in to the ACC tourney to enjoy his game-changing handiwork in the paint.

Runner-Up- Justise Winslow, Duke SF: 28.8 MPG, 12.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, .479 FG%, .398 3FG%

Big 12: Myles Turner, Texas C (6'11", Freshman)

Chris Covatta/Getty Images

2014-15 Stats: 22.9 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.8 BPG, .459 FG%, .276 3FG% .838 FT%

Advanced Stats: 26.5 PER, .561 TS%, 25.3 Usage%, 16.3 REB%, 6.3 AST%, 12.7 BLK%

The Big 12 is arguably the most fiercely competitive conference in the country, yet somehow its most valuable draft prospect is a bench player for the sixth-best team.

Don't worry. He's worth a watch.

Texas Longhorns big man Myles Turner has a sweet jumper and a penchant for swatting opponents' shots.

Half of his field-goal attempts this season have been two-point jumpers, and he's drilled them at a 43 percent clip (per Hoop-math.com). If Turner continues to polish his three-point shot, we're looking at a legitimate stretch center.

As for the aforementioned shot-blocking prowess, Turner's numbers are outstanding. His block percentage is 12.7, and he's rejecting 4.9 shots per 40 minutes. Despite his below-average athleticism, Turner's length and instincts should help him protect the rim at the next level.

The downsides are glaring, though.

He's not athletic and doesn't have a strong or polished low-post game. Can he mix in some convincing interior play during the Big 12 dance to complement his shooting?

Runner-Up- Kelly Oubre, Kansas SF: 20.4 MPG, 9.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, .451 FG%, .373 3FG% 

Big East: Kris Dunn, Providence PG (6'3", Sophomore)

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2014-15 Stats: 34.0 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 7.4 APG, 2.8 SPG, .480 FG%, .333 3FG%

Advanced Stats: 25.1 PER, .551 TS%, 27.6 Usage%, 49.0 AST%, 9.8 REB%, 5.1 STL%

Although the Big East isn't what it used to be, it's home to one of the nation's top point guard prospects.

Kris Dunn of Providence has stuffed the stat sheet all winter to lead the Friars into the upper half of the league, and many of his skills will translate to the NBA.

It's impossible to teach the court vision and quarterbacking accuracy that he possesses. Dunn is a magnificent pick-and-roll facilitator, and his deft ball-handling mastery allows him to weave through opponents and make plays for both himself and teammates.

"There's not really a way to describe Kris Dunn outside of the fact that he just completely and totally dominates the action when he plays," said Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports.

Despite all the positive activity, there are some flaws: He commits an unsightly 4.1 turnovers per game, and his perimeter shooting isn't overly convincing.

Dunn's three-point conversion rate for the season is just 33 percent, but against Big East opponents he's at 36 percent. The in-season improvement suggests he could be a decent outside shooter in the NBA.

Every March, Madison Square Garden has provided a springboard to the NBA for several Big East stars.

Is Dunn the next in line?

Runner-Up- Chris Obekpa, St. John's PF/C: 27.2 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, .464 FG%, .519 FT%

Big Ten: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State PG (6'5", Freshman)

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 33.4 MPG, 19.2 PPG, 5.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, .459 FG%, .422 3FG%

Advanced Stats: 27.8 PER, .584 TS%, 29.9 Usage%, 31.2 AST%, 9.8 REB%

If you haven't watched much of Ohio State star D'Angelo Russell this season, make sure you catch some Big Ten tournament action this week.

The 6'5" playmaker started the season in the periphery of the NBA draft discussion, but he's systematically worked his way into the mix for No. 1 overall. He has the tools, vision and skills to serve as a dual-threat guard.

Russell's elite shooting skills figure to make him a relevant scoring threat as soon as he sets foot in the Association. Russell has made multiple triples in 25 games this season, and he's connecting from downtown at a phenomenal rate (42 percent).

His passing ability is equally eye-popping. He's not a traditional floor general, but Russell sprinkles in brilliant plays that most college point guards can only dream of executing. He has great anticipation and a sense of angles, so he makes tricky passes look silky smooth.

"It's fun playing with a guy like that," Buckeyes senior Sam Thompson told USA Today's Nicole Auerbach. "Every once in a while, he makes a pass so spectacular you don't expect it to get through. Or you don't expect the ball to get to you."

Runner-Up- Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin C: 32.6 MPG, 18.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, .559 FG%, .410 3FG%

Pac-12: Stanley Johnson, Arizona SF (6'7", Freshman)

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

2014-15 Stats: 28.2 MPG, 13.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, .449 FG%, .353 3FG%

Advanced Stats: 22.9 PER, .551 TS%, 27.1 Usage%, 12.5 AST%, 14.4 REB%

Arizona enters the Pac-12 tournament as the conference's No. 1 seed after finishing the league regular-season schedule with a 16-2 record.

Freshman small forward Stanley Johnson is a big reason for the Wildcats' consistency and dominance in the West. It didn't take long for the 18-year-old to make a huge impact with his versatility, and he'll soon be putting a dent in NBA opponents.

Johnson's 240-plus-pound frame serves him well on both ends of the floor as he drives and rebounds assertively and supplies stout defense. He combines this sturdiness with agility and ball skills—an attractive mix for pro scouts.

Although he's the Pac-12's top prospect, Johnson is far from a complete player.

He must continue to work on his defensive discipline as well as his jump-shooting. The sooner he becomes more efficient in both areas, the sooner Johnson will see big minutes as his NBA squad's top wing.

Runner-Up- Kevon Looney, UCLA PF: 31.5 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, .474 FG%, .444 3FG%

Southeastern: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky PF/C (6'11", Freshman)

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

2014-15 Stats: 20.7 MPG, 9.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.4 BPG, .558 FG%, .790 FT%

Advanced Stats: 30.6 PER, .616 TS%, 23.1 Usage%, 18.7 REB%, 12.6 BLK% 11.9 AST%

Just as the gap between Kentucky and the rest of the SEC is cavernous, so is the space between Karl-Anthony Towns and the next Southeastern Conference NBA prospect.

He's peaking at the right time for the Wildcats. Towns is controlling the boards, scoring in the post and protecting the rim at elite levels. Playing time comes in smaller portions for Towns than it does for Okafor and Russell, yet Towns is giving both of them a run for their money.

You don't need a ton of film and a lot of touches to realize how talented he is. It's easy to realize that Towns could expand some areas of his game and become a two-way star in the NBA.

Towns could keep polishing and adding to his low-post repertoire, and he'll almost certainly improve his already promising jump shot. Finally, he has room to improve his defensive discipline and cut down on the fouls (5.6 per 40 minutes).

When you watch him carve up the SEC bracket, remember that Towns is just a teenager.

Runner-Up- Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky C: 25.4 MPG, 8.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, .588 FG%, .579 FT%

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all stats come from Sports-Reference.com/CBB.

Follow Dan O'Brien on Twitter for more NBA draft coverage: @DanielO_BR.