Before the 2011 draft had even concluded, NBA talent evaluators were lamenting how strong it might have been had all of the NCAA's elite players been available. The 2012 draft will be loaded and American-centric, with the trade value of top-20 picks significantly higher than it was this June.
"If you redid [the 2011] draft with the top college kids who passed, they all would have gone in the lottery," one scout said. "But that doesn't mean we won't pick apart their games the more we see them."
With that in mind, we present a categorical breakdown of next year's draft pool, beginning with what scouts hope to see from four super sophomores:
Top one-and-done candidates
1. Anthony Davis, Fr., PF, Kentucky: He may be too raw to dominate in college hoops from Day 1, and isn't likely to put up numbers on par with Barnes and Sullinger, but that won't stop scouts from viewing Davis as the best prospect in the 2012 draft pool. He's far from filling out his 6-10 frame -- his late growth spurt was what pushed him from anonymity to five-star recruit -- but he'll make athletic plays around the rim, and will have no trouble keeping up with speedy freshman point guard Marquis Teague (also a one-and-done candidate) in transition.
2. Michael Gilchrist, Fr., SF, Kentucky: Gilchrist is the rare blue-chip recruit who's famous for his defense, and he's expected to be one of college basketball's most feared, tenacious defenders in '11-12. At 6-7, with a 6-11 wingspan, he could feasibly guard four positions for the Wildcats, and make a huge impact on a team that should contend for the national title. Scouts love his aggressiveness, and while he's unlikely to be selected ahead of Davis in next year's draft, Gilchrist won't have to wait long to hear his name called by an NBA team.
3. James Michael McAdoo, Fr., PF, North Carolina: The Tar Heels' abundance of first-round-caliber forwards (Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Barnes) will keep McAdoo from starting, but he'll see the floor enough to show off his offensive polish in the post. He's far more advanced, skill-wise, than Henson was as a freshman, and could have a long career in the pros as a back-to-the-basket power forward.
4. Brad Beal, Fr., SG, Florida: The Gators' backcourt is stocked with scorers, but Beal is the best pro prospect on their roster. He will stand out because of his shooting range and the overall smoothness of his game. At 6-4, he's a few inches shorter than the first shooting guards who went off the board in 2011 (Washington State's Klay Thompson and Colorado's Alec Burks), but his body looks NBA-ready even at the age of 18.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/luke_winn/06/28/2012.NBA.draft/index.html#ixzz1QbWq3iGP
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