NBA Draft 2011: Whose NBA Draft Stock Rose the Highest After NCAA Tournament?
Now that we are down to the Final Four, scouts have their eyes focused in. They are all concentrating on which players are going to be the real deal at the next level.
This tournament has turned out many down to the wire games. Fortunately for NBA scouts, future pros like Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight have shined when it mattered.
The common rule of thumb is that early round exits hurt a players stock, while deep runs into the Final Four will certainly move them up the board.
Case and point for early round exits is Scottie Reynolds last year. On the other hand is Gordon Hayward, who shot up the draft boards after guiding Butler to the national title game.
With only four teams remaining, players have their final chance to rise their stock. So which players have seen their stock rise the most? Here are 10 studs who have done it the most so far.
10. Chandler Parsons
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Chandler Parsons is a tall, athletic, do it all small forward that could be a steal this draft.
Parsons helped guide Florida to the Elite Eight after taking down UC Santa Barbara, UCLA and BYU.
The senior posted all-around stat lines in every game this tournament. In the first game of the tournament, Parsons nearly had a triple double. Parsons had 10 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one block. Against BYU, Parsons had 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and one block.
These type of all-around stat lines provide a glimpse of what Parsons is capable of in the NBA.
Standing at 6'9", Parsons will be one of the tallest small forwards on the court. Chandler Parsons is a projected early second round, possibly late first-round pick.
Parsons versatility has moved him up a few spots in this years draft.
9. Kenneth Faried
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Kenneth Faried of Morehead State burst onto the national scene when his Eagles took down Louisville in the first round.
His aggressiveness, tenacity and overall relentlessness when playing the game makes him a good pro. Faried is a monster when he attacks the boards, and it shows when you watch him play.
He is extremely explosive jumping off the floor. He is an undersized power forward at 6'7", but his style of play makes up for it.
Faried finished the game against Louisville with 12 points and an astounding 17 rebounds. Against Richmond in the next round, Faried had 11 points with 13 rebounds.
Even though he is playing against guys near his height in college, Faried will still be able to rebound like a machine in the NBA.
8. Justin Harper
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Justin Harper and the Richmond Spiders were a surprise Sweet 16 team this year. After beating No. 5 seed Vanderbilt in the first round, the Spiders beat Morehead State to advance to the field of 16. Much of the credit has to go to Justin Harper for the victories.
Harper is a long, quick, athletic and great shooting forward. He has the ability to step out and drill shots, which will help him immensely in the NBA.
Harper's question marks root in his lack of position. He is very much a "tweener" and needs to bulk up if he wants to play power forward at the next level.
Scouts still have plenty of concerns about Harper, but he definitely helped his stock by guiding Richmond to the Sweet 16.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
7. Jon Leuer
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Jon Leuer and Wisconsin snuck up on some people in the tournament. After posting just 33 points as a team against Penn State, Wisconsin was able to advance to the Sweet 16 just a week later.
Leuer's game is somewhat similar to Justin Harper's. He is long, athletic and can shoot the ball as well as anyone.
Leuer is the definition of a finesse player, and uses that to his advantage. He brings his slower defenders out to the perimeter, where he is able to break them down off the shot or dribble.
Jon Leuer will be a system player in the NBA, being able to become a very solid role player.
6. Markieff Morris
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Being the more neglected Morris, Markieff doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves.
Marcus is seen as the versatile forward, while Markieff is stuck down low. Markieff is much more of a true power forward and will certainly play there in the NBA.
Markieff does have his fair share of weaknesses. He is somewhat soft down low and tends to commit dumb fouls almost routinely.
On the other hand, Markieff is consistent and smooth with his game. He can step out and shoot the three, while also backing his man down in the post. Markieff also has great hands, being able to grab any loose ball around him.
Markieff may have marginally helped his draft stock this tournament, but it did indeed go up.
5. Kemba Walker
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Kemba Walker has quickly become one of America's favorite players. The junior guard does so much for UConn, especially helping them win.
Kemba is a big time scorer, averaging over 23 points per game. He can score off the dribble, off the pass or drive by the defender and lay it in.
Scouts love to knock Kemba for his lack of decision making, citing his mental errors. Even though Kemba does make mistakes too often, it's hard to really criticize him heavily considering how often the ball is in his hands.
Kemba was seen as a late first-round pick a few weeks ago. However, after carrying his team to a Big East tournament final, followed by a Final Four berth, Kemba has worked his way towards the middle of the first round.
4. Harrison Barnes
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Harrison Barnes might as well be nicknamed "Mr. Smooth." Everything he does appears to be super easy.
After getting off to an extremely slow start at the beginning of the year, Barnes has really turned it around. He started to score more often and was able to make clutch shots frequently.
His game has just about everything scouts want in it. He can shoot, drive, defend and plays with a high IQ for a freshman.
Barnes can score at will, and often does it very quietly. His shooting stroke is flawless, which will help him drain multiple jumpers in the NBA.
He was the No. 1 recruit in the country last year, so everyone knows the talent is there. The sky is the limit for Harrison, who could easily be the first overall pick in this upcoming draft.
If UNC could have pulled off the win against Kentucky, Barnes may have very well locked up the No. 1 pick.
3. Terrence Jones
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Terrence Jones is Mr. Versatile. He can guard positions one through four, as well as play them on the offensive end.
He is a smooth lefty, who can impact the game in every way possible.
His versatility is what helps him in college, as well as what he will do in the pros. With his versatility advantage, he is a tough guy to guard.
He has had a solid, but not overly impressive tournament so far. Jones posted a double double against West Virginia in the second round.
To get to the Final Four, Jones was solid. He recorded 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against the solid interior players of UNC.
With Kentucky in the Final Four with so many young players, expect Jones' stock to rise as much as any ones.
2. Derrick Williams
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Derrick Williams really helped his draft stock in this tournament.
Scouts are very skeptical about his "tweener" type of play, and he helped dismiss those this tourney.
Williams will need to play small forward in the NBA, so this tournament he showed he can do just that. Williams was able to beat people off the dribble, while also drain threes at a solid rate.
One thing that really helped Williams was his game against No. 1 seed Duke. Williams went off against the Blue Devils, absolutely dominating Kyle Singler along the way.
Worst case scenario Derrick Williams will be a top five pick, but he did good enough in the tournament to be the No. 1 pick.
1. Brandon Knight
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Like Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight got off to a slow start this year. After learning the speed of the game, Knight was able to showcase his abilities.
Knight is a super fast, quick and athletic point guard who NBA scouts drool over. With the point guard position turning into a more athletic and versatile mold, Brandon Knight is a guy teams will want.
Brandon Knight is also a quality shooter. Against No. 1 overall seed Ohio State, Knight was able to demonstrate his clutch play abilities by draining the game winning shot with just seconds remaining.
Against UNC in the regional final, Knight had another big time game. Knight had 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. He also went five-of-11 from three, which scouts will definitely take note of.
Knight has propelled his stock to a whole new level so far this tournament, which is exactly what scouts wanted to see from him.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
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