NBA Draft 2011: 20 College Stars To Keep an Eye On in 2011
The NBA Draft is still nearly half a year away, yet that hasn't stopped the world from creating countless NBA mock drafts declaring whether Harrison Barnes, Kyrie Irving or Perry Jones are team saviors or draft busts.
The Internet is ripe with declarations of one player being the odds on favorite as the number one pick, in most cases Barnes, or whether another will be a bust or not, in some cases Irving.
However, the biggest problem with a major scale draft preview is the fact that there is so much uncertainty with a lockout looming on the horizon.
With the possibility, and as some people who are in the know say, certainty of a lockout just around the corner for the NBA, it is hard to say who will declare for the draft, and who will opt to stay in school.
It is a part of the future in the NBA that is hard to ignore.
That means there are quite a few players who could end up with a higher draft position if they opt for the draft while others play it safe.
There are also some of those fabulous freshmen who could easily go in the first round of the draft this season, but decide to stay for another year of school, thereby stacking the 2012 draft.
So, here are 20 interesting players to keep an eye on during the winter months of the NBA and college basketball that could make an impact on the NBA next season, either by jumping into the draft or by staying in school.
20. Jon Diebler, Ohio State
1 of 20
Call me a homer, and in some respects I am, but if there is one person that can be significantly helped by the impending lockout, it's Jon Diebler.
Diebler is one of the best shooters Ohio State has ever seen, and is currently shooting just a shade over 50 percent for three, so yea, he's pretty accurate.
With Diebler being a senior, he will be one of the guys forced into the draft whether he wants to go or not, and if enough players hold out in order to avoid troubles with the lockout then Diebler could go from possibly being and undrafted signee to a late pick on a contending team.
Diebler isn't that great at anything but shooting threes, but if he has shown anything this season, it's that on a good team, he can be one of the best shooters in the country.
There should be plenty of teams looking for a guy who can come in at any given time, play a few minutes and drain threes when asked, just like JJ Redick started doing consistently last year for Orlando.
19. Chris Wright, Georgetown and Dayton
2 of 20
For some reason I am tickled pink over the fact that there are two players, both seniors, who are draftable with the same name.
I want one team to draft both of them just for that to be the lamest trivia question to appear on "Stump the Schaub." (Is that even a show anymore?)
Georgetown Wright is a solid all-around point guard, who is a smart player, and really is just plain good. Not great, but just very good.
Dayton Wright is one of those great players on an average team who is hard to put a finger on, kind of like Stephen Curry was a few years back on Davidson, just not nearly as good, and he's a forward not a jaw-dropping point guard.
Somebody get David Kahn on the phone right now and tell him that only two seasons after drafting four guards in the first round of an NBA draft that he can draft two Chris Wrights in the same draft. He'd be all for it.
18. Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
3 of 20
It is usually quite difficult to judge talent when it comes to translation from college basketball to the NBA, there is very rarely a slam dunk in each draft.
What's even harder is when you have an amazing talent on a good team in a mid-major conference, such as Morehead State's Kenneth Faried.
Faried is a monster stat line man, averaging 18.6 points, 14 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
Against a very good Florida team in November, Faried put up 20 points and 18 boards.
For some reason, I love his name as well. If there is one reason LeBron James became a superstar and Ira Newble didn't, it's the difference in the coolness of their names.
Tell me you couldn't hear one of the over-hyped, over-caffinated public address guys currently employed by the NBA spouting out, "Keeeeennnnnneettthhhhh FUUUHH-REEEED!" after a monster dunk such as this.
17. LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor
4 of 20
LaceDarius Dunn is one of the best scorers in college basketball, save for his inability to blow by defenders.
He can shoot from anywhere on the floor and is a guy that can go off for 25 if a shooting streak arises.
A senior from Baylor, Dunn will definitely be helped out by the lockout, as far as draft position goes, and could end up falling into the first round to a good team.
Dunn could come in and make an impact right away with the way that he shoots the ball.
16. Kemba Walker, UConn
5 of 20
Kemba Walker is so fast that his GPS speaks to him in past tense.
Seriously, the little dude is quicker than a hiccup.
Really the biggest problem with his game is his decision making, which is something that can be fixed with the right coach, or the right point guard ahead of him teaching him the ropes.
If Walker can get his head on straight in high-pressure situations, then it will be tough to keep up with him.
15. Marcus Morris, Kansas
6 of 20
This isn't a guy that Chad Ford will love.
His wingspan is shorter than his total height, he is underweight for his position, and he doesn't have great speed.
While you can't teach wingspan, you can add weight and increase speed with a bit of muscle conditioning over an NBA training camp.
If he can bulk up, and start to play physical down low, along with being able to shoot one of the sweetest 18-footers a big man can shoot, then watch out NBA.
14. Jimmer Fredette, BYU
7 of 20
For the love of Mary, his name is Jimmer Fredette!
Someone should draft him on the basis that he would have the funniest name in the history of the NBA.
I'm calling it right now, whichever team it is that takes a chance on Jimmer Fredette will have one of the top selling rookie jerseys. I'd put my name down right now for a Jimmer Fredette jersey.
Besides the man's amazing name, Fredette is an amazing shooter, possibly good enough to give Jon Diebler a run for his money.
Along with his shooting skills, Fredette is a very smart point guard, and has been likened to Mark Price, who was quite a good point guard on his own regard.
13. Jordan Hamilton, Texas
8 of 20
Jordan Hamilton is just a great player overall, and would really fit in to any team in the NBA right now.
He may not be a big impact player right away, but he is a guy who shows great promise and is one of the most versatile players in the country.
He is a big-ish man who can play anything from point guard to power forward, and I'm sure if you asked him, he would lace up his shoes and play some center for you as well.
12. Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
9 of 20
Jon Leuer is one of those players that will suck a team into drafting him in the first round just because of his height alone.
Leuer is 6-10 on a bad day, and his size on a court is intimidating, that is until you see him play.
His style of play is good for the position that he is currently in with the NCAA, but it doesn't seem like a game that will translate well to the NBA.
He is a big man who can't rebound as well as big men should, and will just get physically abused by NBA bodies.
A team will inevitably draft him in the first round due to his height, and his status as a senior, but they will probably end up disappointed.
He will be the NBA's biggest reason for a coach or general manager uttering under their breath, "Geez, what a waste of height."
11. Kris Joseph, Syracuse
10 of 20
What is it that the NBA has loved the most over the past decade-and-a-half? Well that's the 6-7 swingman, uber-athlete of course, and here we have Kris Joseph filling that role quite nicely.
Can Joseph be a great NBA player? Damn straight he can, but that's as long as someone gets him to work hard on defense and teaches him a jump shot.
Right now he is the guy that can jump out of the gymnasium, and that will make his draft stock skyrocket up until the day of the draft, but nobody will really know about him until he gets on a court in the NBA.
10. Demetri McCamey, Illinois
11 of 20
Excuse me while I gush, will you?
Demetri McCamey is everything that is right with college basketball.
Sure, there are those one-and-done's that everyone talks about, and that steal all of the spotlight, but McCamey has grabbed his attention with hard work and a good attitude.
You can have your Josh Selby's and your Brandon Knight's, but McCamey is the real deal here folks.
He is one of the smartest point guards you will see, and from last season he has improved everything about his game.
McCamey defends better, shoots better, passes better, dribbles better, he's quicker and smarter than a season ago, and last season he was on the first team all-Big Ten.
The only criticism I have of him is his name. It just doesn't sound like a good NBA player's name, and while that may sound trivial, I have the strong belief that a name does a lot for a player, and stand by my LeBron James-Ira Newble comment from a few slides ago.
9. Trey Thompkins, Georgia
12 of 20
Remember when Hakeem Olajuwon could wow you with more than just his athleticism? Back in the days of the Dream Shake where Hakeem could stop on a dime, fake one way, fake faking another way and make the likes of P.J Brown look downright silly.
That is what Trey Thompkins could be like, the high basketball IQ forward with slick footwork and great use of the pivot foot side of Hakeem. He does lack the jump over your head and dunk so hard that they feel it in Cuba side of Hakeem, but you can't have it all can you?
If there was another upside of Thompkins it's that he is from the absolute basketball factory of Oak Hill Academy.
Thompkins is going to make a great impact on some lucky team.
8. Kyle Singler, Duke
13 of 20
Kyle Singler is one of those typical polarizing players that come out of Duke or North Carolina.
The people that are fans of that school love him, but the outsiders can't seem to stand him, a bit like Tyler Hansbrough was a few years back with North Carolina.
They were great in college, so there has to be some hope for them in the NBA...right?
It's going to be interesting to see both who takes Singler, but also how they play him, and how he adjusts to the NBA.
7. Josh Selby, Kansas
14 of 20
Josh Selby is the only freshman in the country that I could say with some conviction will be entering the draft in June, regardless of whether a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
Selby showed how explosive a player he is with his first game theatrics with Kansas, when he went five for eight for three and scored 21 points.
From there he has played good, but he still has questions left, like whether or not he can develop into a true NBA point guard, or if he is just another combo guard populating the NBA.
He will definitely be a player to watch in the coming year.
6. Kyrie Irving, Duke
15 of 20
Kyrie Irving has played nearly flawless basketball so far at Duke this year.
He has stepped into one of the best offenses in the whole country, taken control of them and made them better, and he's only a freshman.
Irving seems to know when to be unselfish and when to take control of the game, and he can do both of them at will.
If he does decide to come out in this season's draft, Irving will be a guy who is one of the harder point guards to guard in the league, as he is constantly shifting his pace, and is quite unpredictable.
5. Enes Kanter, Kentucky
16 of 20
First of all, let me acknowledge that my top five are all currently freshmen who could all very well remain in the draft, but whatever decision they make shakes things up.
Staying in college makes the 2012 draft one of the deepest since the LeBron-Carmelo-Wade-Bosh draft of 2003, and going into the NBA directly impacts the NBA due to the fact that they will actually be in the NBA.
My favorite part about Enes Kanter is his name; he sounds like he's right out of 1932.
He hasn't played with Kentucky yet, but it's been said that he's a true big man who can play as a seven-footer, even if he is an inch or two below that mark, and is a very physical player.
He does everything good, his only downside is the always dreaded murmur of knee problems.
That means don't draft him if your team's nickname is "Trail Blazers" or "Clippers", you just seem to have bad luck with these types of players.
4. Perry Jones, Baylor
17 of 20
My gahhhd watching this guy play is fun.
He's not putting up great numbers for Baylor (11 points, eight rebounds), but that shouldn't matter as soon as the scouts get him through their workouts.
Jones is a 6-11 force of nature that can dribble and has a jump shot.
Any team with a lackluster frontcourt that may include a couple of old, slow, fat guys will be hurting if they have to guard Perry Jones one-on-one.
3. Terrence Jones, Kentucky
18 of 20
Terrence Jones is another lefty possibility for the draft that can also play anything from point guard to power forward.
He has some neat low post moves and shows the ability to develop even more if need be, and he can also shoot and score off the dribble.
He is a good defender who can be even better with a coach that gets him motivated to try harder, and should become better once he matures more.
The worst thing about him is his shot, which is a bit strange looking. He constantly brings the ball across his body and shoots without squaring his elbow, which could be cause for concern.
But hey, if Joakim Noah can shoot free throws like Tim Wakefield throws a knuckleball then who's to complain?
2. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
19 of 20
If Jared Sullinger were coming into the 1981 draft, he would be heralded as the next big thing, unfortunately for him, this is 2011, and athleticism is a bigger part of basketball.
He is an absolute force down low, at 270 pounds of muscle and a few jiggles here and there he could back down a bulldozer and get a foul called on it as it struggled to keep its footing.
He can score at will over weaker opponents and can rebound like no other, plus he has a decent jump shot from 12 feet or less.
The biggest problem with him is his athleticism, and as you watch him you will inevitably think, "why can't this guy jump higher?" and his speed.
With a bit more weight loss (he weighed in at over 280 pounds of jiggle in the summer), his quickness should increase and his athletic ability may increase a bit too.
1. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
20 of 20
Another almost can't-miss prospect out of North Carolina.
He can do anything you ask of him, and really the only knock on the guy are things that he does because of his age.
They say his left hand isn't developed enough, or his decision making on the break isn't great, but these are things that get better with repetition and practice.
Any team would be lucky to have Barnes, who is an excellent player already at only 18, and has a terrific work ethic and attitude, something that you don't see enough in high profile basketball prospects enough these days.
