2011 NBA Draft: Kyrie Irving and the 5 Most Overhyped Draft Prospects

In this day and age of one-and-done college basketball players, it is hard for NBA teams to know what kind of player they are getting in the draft.

A much touted, successful college player will often prove to be a bust at the professional level, while a less heard of, late second-round pick ends up being a perennial all-star in the NBA.

Plain and simple: The draft is usually a big gamble.

Here are the five most overhyped draft prospects for the 2011 draft.

5. Jimmer Fredette

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HOUSTON - APRIL 03: Jimmer Fredette of BYU received the 2011 Naismith Trophy Presented by AT&T at the NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Program on April 3, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

There is no doubt Fredette has superior offensive abilities. After all, the guy won the John Wooden national player of the year award.

Ultimately though, it seems Fredette lacks the athletic abilities to be an impactful backcourt player in the NBA, and he is too undersized to make a splash in the paint.

Fredette is in the same situation that Tim Tebow was a couple of years ago. Great college career but tons of questions marks entering the next level.

At the end of the day, I see Fredette becoming a J.J. Redick-type sharpshooter, who can come off the bench and score 12-15 points.

4. Tristan Thompson

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TULSA, OK - MARCH 20: Tristan Thompson #13 of the Texas Longhorns walks off the court after their 70-69 loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Pho

Thompson is one of the most athletic players being projected as a top 20 pick.

At the University of Texas, Thompson established himself as a great rebounder and shot blocker. His athleticism won't be able to make up for his lack of size at the next level, however.

Thompson will have to develop a decent mid-range jumper at the next level to excel amongst the power forwards and centers the NBA has to offer.

3. Markieff and Marcus Morris

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: Marcus Morris #22 and Markieff Morris #21 of the Kansas Jayhawks react during the southwest regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Alamodome on March 27, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas. Virginia Commonw

It only seems fitting to bundle these two together. Both players are kind of at a cross roads, as far as finding a comfortable position at the next level.

They are probably a little too undersized to man the paint with the effectiveness they did at Kansas, and neither brother is made for the backcourt.

If either twin wants to flourish at the next level, they will have to become slashers, who can occasionally take their opponent down to the low post if they happen to be in a mismatch situation.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if we see one or both of the twins in the NBA Development League before their rookie seasons conclude.

2. Brandon Knight

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Brandon Knight #12 of the Kentucky Wildcats moves the ball while taking on the Connecticut Huskies during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in

The freshman had a memorable run last March in the NCAA Tournament. Knight's stellar play was the main reason the Wildcats made it all the way to the Final Four.

Maybe I am old fashioned, but I am skeptical of one-and-done point guards having immediate success at the next level.

I know Derrick Rose and John Wall are strong evidence against my opinion, but Knight is not the same quality of player as those two.

If Knight has the patience to go through some major growing pains, I could see him having an impact on an NBA team.

But if expects to have a rookie year like John Wall did last season, he may be in over his head.

1. Kyrie Irving

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ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 24: Kyrie Irving #1 of the Duke Blue Devils draws contact against Kyryl Natyazhko #1 and Lamont Jones #12 of the Arizona Wildcats during the west regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Honda Center on M

All NBA teams are looking for the next franchise point guard, a guy who can transform a bottom dwelling team into a contender in a short amount of time.

Many people believe Kyrie Irving will selected with the first overall pick of next month's draft by he Cleveland Cavaliers.

Obviously, Irving is a very talented player, but he only played in 11 games with Duke last season.

More so than his talent, fans know him more for his injury proneness. Irving missed the majority of last season with a toe injury.

According to Cleveland.com, Irving announced last week he would not be taking part in on-court drills at the draft combine, but he would go through standard medical tests and will work out privately with teams.

Seems like an awfully big question mark to take with the first overall pick. If I were Cleveland, I would be taking a look at Derrick Williams out of Arizona.