Carolina’s Harrison Barnes Heads 2012 Draft Class

Tired of reading endless 2011 Mock NBA drafts before tonight’s main event? Well you’re in luck because we’re unleashing our debut 2012 mock draft. With Duke point guard Kyrie Irving expected to go first overall tonight, look for North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes to be the top pick a year from now.

2012 Mock NBA Draft
Team	Pick	Player	School	COMMENT
	1	Harrison Barnes, SF	North Carolina	Everything you’d want in a No. 1 overall pick – an NBA-ready body, good athleticism and a developing mid-range game. He won’t start slow in 20011-12.
	2	Anthony Davis, PF	Kentucky	Some mocks have him at No. 1 overall. We can’t go there. At 6-foot-10, 208 lbs., a Dirk Nowitzki cough could knock him over. But he’s the dynamic scorer the Cavs need.
	3	James McAdoo, SF	North Carolina	He’s silky smooth at 6-foot-8 and has drawn comparisons to James Worthy. Bloodlines from his uncle Bob don’t hurt, either.
	4	Jared Sullinger, PF	Ohio State	The Raptors need some serious muscle in the paint and there’s no wider load than Sully. There isn’t huge upside like others but Sullinger produces results.
	5	Jeremy Lamb, SG	Connecticut	He’s still growing into his body but has great potential. An impossible-to-block floater is an awesome complement to his length and athleticism.
	6	Perry Jones, PF	Baylor	Jones has all the talent in the world but has yet to show it on a consistent basis. Mikhail Prokhorov needs to take a chance on a big talent with the move to Brooklyn.
	7	Austin Rivers, SG	Duke	Rivers is an amazing scorer and Joe Dumars has to love his NBA bloodlines and the marketability of a new star in Detroit. Buh-bye, Rip Hamilton.
	8	Quincy Miller, SF	Baylor	An athletic freak that will put butts in the seats. Paired with Blake Griffin, Clippers games will look like an NBA Dunk Contest.
	9	Marquis Teague, PG	Kentucky	The Bobcats need to get back to playing with pace, as they did with Ray Felton. Teague can do that. He’s smart and has more upside than older brother Jeff.
	10	John Henson, PF	North Carolina	A skilled forward with touch around the basket. He’s developing an outside touch but needs to work on his body. That’s OK, Andrew Bogut can handle the dirty work.
	11	Michael Gilchrist, SF	Kentucky	Gilchrist has been a highly touted player for years. He has a bigger forward’s game at 6-foot-7 and is very athletic. Perfect for the GS, who have enough players on the perimeter.
	12	Terrence Jones, SF	Kentucky	If the Jazz draft Jimmer, they’ll need someone to track down some errant caroms. Jones slowed down his frosh year but should put up his numbers in 2012.
	13	Adonis Thomas, SF	Memphis	Alvin Gentry still likes his Suns to play fast. Thomas was made for the open floor. At 6-foot-7 and fluid, he has a 7-foot wingspan to boot.
	14	Tyler Zeller, C	North Carolina	A mobile 6-foot-11 player, Zeller has battled injuries for two seasons in Chapel Hill. A healthy season on a really good UNC team should make Kevin McHale fall in love. It’s time to replace Yao.
	15	Kris Joseph, SF	Syracuse	The Pacers seem to collect well-known college players. Joseph has built a profile at Syracuse. But he’s not just a name; a prototypical athletic wing that’s still very raw still.
	16	Kendall Marshall, PG	North Carolina	If Mike D’Antoni is still around, he’d love Marshall. He’s unselfish and plays with a high IQ. If only he were Canadian …
	17	Doron Lamb, SG	Kentucky	Has the potential to be a solid NBA shooting guard who can stretch the floor. Doug Collins needs that badly. His young Sixers have everything else.
	18	Thomas Robinson, PF	Kansas	With the Morris twins gone, Robinson will be looked at to step up in the interior. And he will. Very good body at 6-foot-9 and plays with noticeable energy.
	19	Bradley Beal, SG	Florida	If Rudy Gay is indeed on his way out of town, Beal would be a great fit in Memphis as a player who fills it up.
	20	Khris Middleton, SG	Texas A&M	A slender 6-foot-7 wing player, Middleton would fit great alongside Chris Paul, who would get him easy baskets. If Paul remains in New Orleans for the long haul, that is.
	21	John Jenkins, SG	Vanderbilt	With the emergence of LaMarcus Aldridge and presence of Marcus Camby, the Blazers need more shooting. That’s what Jenkins does well. A great fit.
	22	Mason Plumlee, PF	Duke	George Karl is a Carolina guy, but he can use a young big man that to make a deep team even deeper on the interior. Kenyon Martin is on his last legs.
	23	Renardo Sidney, C	Mississippi State	Does anyone think Dwight Howard will be in Orlando in 2012? Sidney is a problem child but could be great if he gets his head on straight.
	24	Terrence Ross, SG	Washington	Showed growth over his freshman season. Great sign that he played his best at Pac-10 tourney time. Will be part of the new Celtics era with Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.
	25	Rudy Gobert, PF/C	International	Just because he’s a foreign prospect, we are sending him to the Spurs, right? Yes, but he’s also 6-foot-10 and not yet 19. The Spurs will need to replace Tim Duncan by committee.
	26	William Buford, SG	Ohio State	An athletic two-guard who can stretch the floor – perfect for the Thunder, especially now that James Harden has moved to a bigger role.
	27	Ashton Gibbs, PG	Pittsburgh	Will the Lakers ever replace Derek Fisher? Gibbs might not be a physical marvel but he is a winner that plays defense. Kobe will approve.
	28	Tomas Satoransky, PG/SG	International	He’s a work-in-progress from the Czech Republic. And as we know, the Mavs have done well with international players. They can afford to stash him.
	29	Draymond Green, PF	Michigan State	Did you watch the Eastern Conference playoffs? The Bulls play with a football mentality. A great fit for the Dancing Bear, whose 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame is bruising. He’s smart and skilled, too.
	30	Jeffery Taylor, SF	Vanderbilt	The Heat need another scorer to take the burden off LeBron and Wade. Taylor will be instant offense off the bench.