NBA Draft Preview 2011: Power Ranking the Top 10 Juniors
Conference play is in full swing in the world of college basketball, signaling the time of the season when the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders, the leaders from the followers.
The spotlight has shone and will likely continue to shine brightest on the fabulous freshmen and the spectacular sophomores whose talents will take center stage from now until the beginning of April and who will be the lottery picks and future stars of the NBA.
However, the most successful teams, the ones that go to the Final Four and win it all, are typically captained and guided by upperclassmen, many of whom will be fine professionals in their own right.
Look no further back than last year's Duke Blue Devils, who won the championship behind the third-year leadership of Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.
In that spirit, let's have a look at the 10 best NBA prospects among college juniors this year.
10. Klay Thompson, Guard, Washington State
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Kicking off the list is Washington State's Klay Thompson.
The son of former Los Angeles Laker and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Mychal Thompson is making a name for himself in the Paloose, putting up 22.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for the 12-4 Cougars.
At 6'6" and with a dead-eye shot from outside (43.4 percent on three-pointers), Thompson has the perfect combination of size and skill to be a quality shooting guard in the NBA.
9. Shelvin Mack, Guard, Butler
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Last year, Shelvin Mack rode on the shoulders of giants (i.e. Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard) to a runner-up finish with Butler in the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
This year, Mack is proving to be a pretty good player in his own right, averaging 14.7 points, 3.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds for the 12-5 Bulldogs.
Mack may not get much "pub," but he has terrific size, at 6'3" and 215 pounds, and plenty of savvy to succeed in the NBA.
8. Markieff Morris, Forward, Kansas
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Speaking of being overshadowed, it's tough not to feel bad for Markieff Morris.
The less heralded of Kansas' balling Morris twins is a fantastic talent in his own right, scoring 12.9 points and pulling down 8.7 rebounds in just under 23 minutes per game.
At 6'10" and 245 pounds, Markieff is a bit bigger than his brother Marcus, thereby accounting for his more inside-oriented game.
7. Travis Leslie, Guard, Georgia
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The Georgia Bulldogs don't get much attention, likely because they haven't done much on the court in recent years, but they still sport some intriguing NBA prospects.
The first of those on this list is Travis Leslie.
The 6'4", 202-pound shooting guard from Decatur, Ga., is having a productive season for Mark Fox, averaging 13.9 points, 2.3 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.
Leslie is considered one of the premier athletes in all of college basketball and projects as a high-flying shooting guard in the NBA.
Assuming Leslie improves his focus and allows his skills to catch up to his physical attributes, he could turn out to be a star on the next level.
6. Jeff Taylor, Forward, Vanderbilt
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Travis Leslie isn't the only big-time wing stalking the hardwood in the SEC.
Vanderbilt's Jeff Taylor is quite the beast himself, with a 6'7", 225-pound NBA-ready frame and plenty of hops to boot.
The native of Sweden is having a fine season for the Commodores as well, with averages of 14.5 points, 2.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds for Kevin Stallings' 12-3 club.
While Taylor struggles as a shooter, he is already a tremendous defender and should go in the first round should he opt for the draft in 2011.
5. Kris Joseph, Forward, Syracuse
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The Syracuse Orange are once again a top-five team in college basketball this season, thanks in large part to the play of Kris Joseph.
The 6'7", 207-pound forward from Montreal has taken his draft stock to another level this season, as he's put up 15.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while drastically improving his outside shooting to 35.7 percent from three-point range.
If Joseph keeps this up, he may very well sneak his way into the latter portions of the lottery in 2011.
4. Marcus Morris, Forward, Kansas
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As good as twin brother Markieff has been for the Jayhawks in his career, Marcus Morris has always been just a cut or two above.
At 6'9" and 235 pounds, Morris tends to gravitate more toward the perimeter than his bigger, bulkier brother.
And he has the stats to prove that he can play outside—15.7 points on 58.7 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
Though Marcus isn't the most tremendous athlete in the world, he has an all-around package of skills, both on the inside and on the perimeter, to make him an excellent option for any team looking for a versatile big man in the upcoming draft.
3. Chris Singleton, Forward, Florida State
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Florida State's Chris Singleton falls very much into a similar category to that of Marcus Morris.
At 6'9" and 225 pounds, Singleton is also a versatile big man who can handle the ball and knock down shots from the perimeter while occasionally scoring in the post.
Singleton has always been a tremendous athlete, but has stepped up his game to another level this season, grabbing 8.3 boards and scoring 15.6 points per night while shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Singleton is still rather turnover prone and has some work to do diversifying his game, but he looks like the type of player who will only improve once he reaches the NBA.
Unless, of course, he turns out to be the next Al Thornton.
2. Trey Thompkins, Forward, Georgia
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Not to be outdone by the previous two power forwards, Georgia's Trey Thompkins may be the best of the junior big men in college basketball this season.
The 6'9", 250-pounder from Lithonia, Georgia is an absolute load on the block and is just as capable of burning opposing defense from the perimeter as he is of scoring inside.
Thompkins has done well for himself as the Bulldogs' leader, scoring 18.1 points and nabbing 7.1 rebounds per contest.
The big man comes up a bit short when it comes to consistent effort and athleticism but still has plenty of skill to succeed in the NBA from Day One and enough upside to blossom into a star at the next level.
1. Kemba Walker, Guard, UConn
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One could argue that no player, regardless of his year in school, has done more to improve his draft stock in 2010-11 than UConn's Kemba Walker.
The point guard from the Bronx is a bit undersized for the NBA, at 6'1" and 172 pounds, but sports unbelievable tenacity and toughness on both ends of the court.
Not to mention the ability to score, as exhibited by his gaudy nightly average of 25.3 points—second best in the country behind BYU's Jimmer Fredette.
Walker has almost single-handedly turned Jim Calhoun's Huskies from a preseason Big East doormat to a possible conference champion in 2011.
As such, don't be surprised if Walker turns out to be a terrific lead guard once he hits the Association.
