NBA Draft 2011: Kyle Singler and the 10 Best Leaders in the Draft

Over the course of his career, Kyle Singler became a vocal leader for the Duke Blue Devil squad. During his freshman year, he averaged 13.3 points per game and helped Duke to a 26-8 record.

Since, Singler has obtained a national championship and improved his points average up to 17.1 points per game.

Singler finished his career at Duke as the all-time leader in games played (148) and games started (147). When making a multiple year commitment to a college program, it takes courage and patience throughout the whole process of leading a team vocally and productively. 

This slideshow will provide an analysis of players who set the example and stayed in school multiple years building a foundation of hard work, ethics and wins.

Marcus Morris (Kansas)

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: Marcus Morris #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks puts up a shot against Bradford Burgess #20 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams during the southwest regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Alamodome on March

The current Big 12 player of the year showed a lot of promise over the past few seasons developing into a versatile player. His skills allowed him to be a threat on both ends of the basketball court at a high level.

Morris finished his season averaging 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Now leaving the Kansas Jayhawks, Morris has the chance for his skills to translate to the next level.

Under the leadership of him and his twin brother—Markieff Morris—the Jayhawks averaged 31.6 wins a season.

Klay Thompson (Washington State)

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 10: Klay Thompson #1 of the Washington State Cougars walks off the court after the Cougars lost to the Washington Huskies 89-87 in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Pacific Life Pac-10 Men's Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on

Some of you will question this one but let me explain.

Though Klay Thompson likes to smoke marijuana from time to time, you can't ignore the fact he has risen Wazzu Basketball to another level.

Leading the Cougars in scoring, Klay has a great ability to shoot the basketball from anywhere on the court.

He finished his career as the third all time leading scorer in Washington State history while garnering first team Pac-10 honors.

With his father Mychael already winning two NBA Finals rings with the Lakers, look for Klay Thompson to carry the championship pedigree to the next level.

Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young)

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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)

Jimmer Fredette ( 6'2'', 195 pounds) is one of the most explosive scorers we have ever seen in college basketball. 

It first started when Fredette played in all 35 games as a freshman and increased his leadership on the team ending his career as the all time leading scorer in the majority of offensive categories for the Mountain West Conference.

Under his leadership averaging 28.9 points per game, Fredette led the Cougars into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1981.

Former Kansas Jayhawk Forward Marcus Morris had this to say about Jimmer,

"

“He’s got heart. You can see he has a feel for the game, and he can SHOOT IT from anywhere. Even if you try to box-and-one the guy, he brings it up and just pulls up from the hashmark. That’s tough to guard."

"

Offensive Records Set at BYU:

-Most points in One Half : 33

-Single Game Scoring Record: 52

-Mountain West All-Time Leading Scorer

-NCAA Division 1 Leading scorer: 751

Marshon Brooks (Providence)

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PROVIDENCE, RI - DECEMBER 04: Marshon Brooks #2 of the Providence Friars drives for a shot attempt against the Rhode Island Rams at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on December 4, 2010 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

Marshon Brooks (6'2'', 195 pounds) is an exceptional player with the ability to score at will. 
Finishing second in the nation behind Jimmer Fredette, Brooks led the Big East in scoring with 24.6 points per game.

In addition to leading the conference in scoring, he set the record for most points scored in a Big East game (52) and broke the single season conference mark with 468 points. 

Capable of getting his own shot, Brooks had a lot of freedom in Providence's wide open offense during his years there. The only problem is that he needs to work on his tunnel vision to get his teammates more involved with the basketball.

Providence finished the 2010 season 15-17, but you can't deny Marshon Brooks is an offensive machine leading the charge.

Kemba Walker (UConn)

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Kemba Walker #15 of the Connecticut Huskies at the free throw line against the Butler Bulldogs during the National Championship Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium on April 4, 2011 in Ho

In the first two years of his UConn campaign, Walker showed a habit of dishing the ball quickly to his teammates for offensive production diminishing his numbers.

Walker later became the heart of the UConn team showing great courage during the NCAA tournament leading to a national championship.

In 2010, Walker averaged 23.5 points on 42 percent shooting which was one of the best percentages in the Big East. 

Kenneth Faried (Morehead State)

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 19: Kenneth Faried #35 of the Morehead State Eagles dunks reacts after a play against the Richmond Spiders during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 19, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Pho

Kenneth Faried (6'8'', 228 pounds) entered Morehead State in 2007 and be remodeled the basketball history books during his four years there.

It first started when Faried entered as a freshman and led the conference in both rebounds and scoring dominating opponents inside the paint. 

After winning the 2010 OVC Defensive Player of the Year and obtaining All-American honors, Faried decided to declare for the 2010 NBA Draft. After careful consideration, Faried decided to return to Morehead for one more season for more development.

Then during the 2011 season, Faried broke Tim Duncan's modern era NCAA record with 1,673 rebounds. 

Nolan Smith (Duke)

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Nolan Smith #2 of the Duke Blue Devils moves the ball while taking on the Michigan Wolverines during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 in Charlotte, North C

Nolan Smith began to give an immediate impact early in his career at Duke. During the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Smith scored 28 points to lead the Blue Devils over Baylor to advance to the Final Four. 

During the 2010-11 season, Smith captured first team All-America honors as Duke captured the ACC Tournament crown over North Carolina. Despite sharing time with freshman sensation Kyrie Irving to start the season, Smith handled it gracefully and averaged 20.6 points per contest. 

Due to his leadership, fans voted Smith the Premier Player of College Basketball for the 2011 season. 

Derrick Williams (Arizona)

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ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 26: Derrick Williams #23 of the Arizona Wildcats looks on from the bench against the Connecticut Huskies during the west regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Honda Center on March 26, 2011 in Anaheim, Cal

Derrick Williams is a player that has given coach Sean Miller consistent numbers during his few years in Tucson. 

His freshman year, Williams garnered All Pac 10 honors and was named a freshman All-American in 2010. 

Williams then gained national recognition when he led the Wildcats in offensive scoring helping them make a run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. 

Because of his efforts, Williams was named a first team All-American by Sports Illustrated. 

Iman Shumpert ( Georgia Tech)

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MILWAUKEE - MARCH 21: Iman Shumpert #1 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets moves the ball while taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Bradley Center on March 21, 2010 in Milwaukee, Wi

Though Georgia Tech lacked consistent winning, Iman Shumpert (6'5'', 209 pounds) is a great leader in terms of statistical numbers. Shumpert finished the 2011 campaign with 17.3 points per game, one of the highest averages in the ACC.

Shumpert is obviously the most athletically gifted player inside of this NBA Draft class, but there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of taking care of the basketball. 

NBA Draft Express had this to say about Shumpert and the lack of wins at Georgia Tech:

"

"Georgia Tech's degenerate offense has plenty to do with this obviously, but Shumpert can't escape criticism for how bad his team looks in the half-court, since he's often the main culprit."

"

Shelvin Mack (Butler )

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Shelvin Mack #1 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrate after a shot to end the first half against the Connecticut Huskies during the National Championship Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium o

Shelvin Mack has been a force to deal with since his arrival for the Butler Bulldogs. Over the past 3 seasons, Mack has averaged 30 points per game leading the Horizon league in scoring.

Though coming from a smaller University, you can’t ignore his leadership skills almost winning a national championship not once, but in back-to-back seasons.

Even with his triumphant attempts, Mack has expected to worse out of his decision to leave early.

MySan-Antonio.com had this to about his current draft stock. “Mack said he considered a "worst-case scenario," in which no one would pick him. Only first-round picks receive guaranteed contracts, and projections on him vary from late in the first round to the second round.”