NBA Draft 2011: Jimmer Fredette and 10 Players Who Have Seen Their Stock Change
With the 2011 NCAA Tournament finally complete, the NBA draft is just beyond the horizon for many of the talented athletes who put on a show during March Madness.
Jimmer Fredette led the BYU Cougars to the Sweet 16, but failed to advance further when he was knocked out by the Florida Gators in a very tough game. There have always been questions surrounding how well Fredette can play defense, but this years tournament seemed to bring those questions to the surface.
Fredette isn't the only player who has seen his stock change in the past few weeks. Here's a list of 10 players who've seen their stock change the most, in both good ways and bad.
Derrick Williams: SF/PF Arizona Wildcats
1 of 10
Projected Pick: 1st overall
Stock Change: Up
Derrick Williams was always considered to be a highly valued prospect, but his amazing performance during the NCAA Tournament has nearly secured him the top overall pick in the draft.
It's possible he gets taken second, behind Kryie Irving, but there's no way he slips any further than that. Williams was an absolute beast, and dominated every team he played against. It's clear that his potential is through the roof, and every team should be salivating at the chance to get him.
Kawhi Leonard: SF SDSU Aztecs
2 of 10
Projected Pick: 18th overall
Stock Change: Down
Kawhi Leonard has seen his stock fall a bit, mostly because other small forwards like Terrence Jones and Marcus Morris have cemented themselves ahead of Leonard.
San Diego State lost in the Sweet 16 to the future champion UConn Huskies, and Leonard didn't look that great. Now I'm not saying he played terribly, I just think he could have had a much better tournament in general.
Brandon Knight: PG/SG Kentucky Wildcats
3 of 10
Projected Pick: 7th overall
Stock Change: Up
Brandon Knight won two separate games with a shot in the final seconds during the NCAA Tournament this year. He's shown a huge amount of potential and is now considered to be one of the best guards in the draft.
There's a chance Knight could stick around at Kentucky for one more year though, because he is a Junior in academic standing and would need only one more year to graduate. If he decides to declare, though, Knight should be a guaranteed top 10 selection.
Jamie Skeen: PF VCU Rams
4 of 10
Projected Pick: 44th overall
Stock Change: Up
Jamie Skeen had more nation-wide attention over the past month then he probably had during his entire career. He was a huge part to the success of the miracle Final Four run that VCU was able to pull off in the NCAA Tournament.
Skeen was previously viewed as a late second round selection, with the possibility that he might not get drafted at all. Now, it's safe to say he'll be taken somewhere in the middle of the second round.
Jon Diebler: SG Ohio State Buckeyes
5 of 10
Projected Pick: Undrafted
Stock Change: Down
Jon Diebler has been on and off the draft charts for a while now. Previously, Diebler had been wavering around the end of the second round. Now, it looks as if Diebler may not even get drafted, along with his teammate William Buford.
Diebler performed pretty well in the NCAA Tournament, but really didn't show off a variety of skills. He's obviously an excellent three-point shooter, but the NBA needs more from him than that.
Jan Vesely: SF/PF Czech Republic
6 of 10
Projected Pick: 3rd overall
Stock Change: Up
Jan Vesely may be the player to have his stock improve the most from Jared Sullinger returning to Ohio State. Toronto was high on Sullinger, but now that he's going back to school, Vesely looks to be another good option.
Toronto hasn't played well lately and looks to be the third pick in the draft. It won't be a surprise when his name gets called early on draft day.
Kemba Walker: PG UConn Huskies
7 of 10
Projected Pick: 9th overall
Stock Change: Up
Kemba Walker led the UConn Huskies to a championship victory in the NCAA Tournament Monday night. If the nation hadn't heard of Walker before this tournament, they sure have now.
Walker has proven to the country that he is one of the top guards in America, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get drafted even higher than ninth.
Jimmer Fredette: PG BYU Cougars
8 of 10
Projected Pick: 11th overall
Stock Change: Down
As mentioned before, questions are surfacing throughout the basketball community about how well Fredette will be able to play in the NBA.
Even though he's projected at 11th, it wouldn't be a shock to see him slip as far as 16 or so. If he can work on his defense, Fredette can still prove everyone wrong and make a huge impact in the NBA.
At the end of the day, it won't matter where he gets drafted, as long as he performs well wherever he goes.
Marcus Morris: SF/PF Kansas Jayhawks
9 of 10
Projected Pick: 12th overall
Stock Change: Up
Both Morris twins have seen their stock rise in the last few weeks, but Marcus is going to hear his name called before Markieff. It was a disappointing performance for the Jayhawks in the tournament, failing to get past VCU in the Elite Eight.
Still, Morris had a few great games, and has been projected as high as 10th in various mock drafts. Notable players like Fredette and Leonard have slipped as previously mentioned, which has allowed Morris to pass at least one of them, if not both.
Alec Burks: PG/SG Colorado Buffaloes
10 of 10
Projected Pick: 8th overall
Stock Change: Down
It didn't help Alec Burks cause any to see Colorado fall just short of making the NCAA Tournament. He got some national attention in the NIT, but certainly not that much.
Mainly, I see his draft stock falling because other guards who had star performances will pass him up. Walker and Knight are two guards I'm referring to specifically. He still may find his way into the top 10, but it's not a sure fire thing.
