Sophomore Rankings UpdatedBy: Aran_Smith

While the sophomore class (2012) only produced 4 one and done players in last
year’s draft (Evans, DeRozan, Holiday and Mullens) and the class entered college without
much hype, it is quickly developing into an extremely deep and talented class.
A number of prospects have emerged giving this group a lot of intrigue. Look for
this class to represent itself well in the next few (3) drafts with numerous first
round picks.

NCAA Sophomore Rankings – Class of 2012

Top 10

1. Ed Davis 6-9 225 PF North Carolina So. — Still
needs to add weight, but the young Tarheel showed flashes of his considerable
potential coming off the bench for the National Champs last year and appears ready
for a break out season. Davis has excellent length, speed and explosiveness and
a lot of offensive potential as well. The one concern is his upper body strength,
so it will be interesting to see what his offseason work has done to improve his
physique.

2. Devin Ebanks 6-7 204 SG/SF West Virginia So.
— The NYC native improved as his freshman season went on (scored in double figures
in 12 of the final 13 games) and displays a diverse game with the ability to score
off the dribble as well as hit mid range shots. He’s long and lean and is a bigtime
rebounder from the wing position.

3. Paul George 6-7 190 SG/SF Fresno State So.
— Long, rangy wing prospect with a great deal of promise. Scouts still aren’t
completely sold yet on his abilities as he plays in a smaller conference and needs
to learn to create offense for himself. Regardless, his outside shot and ability
to finish at the rim make him an intriguing talent.

4. Terrico White 6-5 195 PG/SG Mississippi So.
— The most impressive of all the USA Team prospects that went over and brought
back gold from the U19 World Championships in Aukland. Despite it being the offseason,
White is "blowing up" as one scout recently put it. He’s now seen as
a potential top 10 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, and benefits from the success of
(similar type of player) Tyreke Evans in the 2009 draft.

5. Solomon Alabi 7-0 224 C Florida
St. Sr. — Older and a bit of a wildcard but began to flash the same type
of potential that made Hasheem Thabeet the #2 overall pick in the ’09 draft. Alabi
has an array of tools to work with and could develop into a lottery pick this
season.

6. Al-Farouq Aminu 6-9 210 SF Wake Forest.
So. — Aminu lacks the speed and fluidity of Paul George but has some advantages
including size, as well as exposure and experience playing against ACC athletes
throughout the season.

7. William Buford 6-5 185 SG Ohio State So.
— While still likely to play second fiddle to upperclassman Evan Turner within
the Buckeye offense, Buford is the player scouts have become higher on due to
his athleticism and outside shooting.

8. Willie Warren 6-3 195 PG/SG Oklahoma So.
— Warren is an extrmely impressive physical specimen with the will to take over
games. He has star potential at the NBA level and does show solid passing ability.
Unfortunately he is lacking size and a true position, but some feel he’s a top
10 pick next year regardless.

9. Malcolm Lee 6-5 180 PG UCLA So. — Appears
to be the top overall prospect in a depleted Pac-Ten Conference. NBADraft.net
actually had Lee rated higher than his teammate Jrue Holiday coming out of high
school. With DC and Holiday gone, it will be Lee’s chance to shine.

10. Luke Babbitt 6-7 220 SF Nevada So. —
Scouts point to his performance against Tyler Hansbrough and UNC as he showed
no intimidation and essentially played the All American to a standstill. He was
often asked to play in the paint in his freshman year, but should get a chance
to play on the perimeter more in his sophomore year.

Others:

Greg Monroe 6-10 254 PF/C Georgetown So. —
A lot of scouts rate Monroe higher and while he was arguably the top freshman
in the nation last year, he’s not considered to be a player with huge upside.
He’s a solid, though unspectacular athlete with a wide range of skills from a
four man.

Elliot Williams 6-4 190 SG Memphis So.
— Similar to Tyler Smith of Tennessee, Williams was granted a transfer exemption
and will be immediately eligible due to a family illness. The Memphis native,
though just 6-4, has a big wingspan and began to flash star ability at Duke towards
the end of his freshman season. Williams is a player to watch and could potentially
play himself into the first round this year.

Iman Shumpert 6-5 185 PG/SG Georgia Tech So.
— Shumpert is another highly talented sophomore guard with the versatility to
play both guard positions. Similar to former Yellow Jacket Javaris Crittenton,
Shumpert intrigues scouts with his size and versatility.

Tony Woods 6-10 260 C Wake Forest So. — Woods
struggled in his freshman year but has the length, explosiveness and potential
to develop into one of the top centers in the nation over the next few seasons.
Scouts aren’t sure he’s ready to step up this year however. Remember, bigmen take
the longest to develop.

Kemba Walker 5-11 180 PG Connecticut So. —
Walker was forced to share the ball with AJ Price last year as a freshman, but
will get the chance to take over the team this year. Walker’s point guard skills
and ability to take over late in games makes him a potential first rounder despite
being an inch or two shy of 6-foot.

Jeffery Taylor 6-7 205 SF Vanderbilt So.
— The Swedish import caught the eye of NBA scouts showing
the potential to be an NBA wing with an impressive freshman season positing 12
ppg. Along with inside force AJ Ogilvy, look for Taylor to become a household
name nationally in his sophomore year.

Arnett Moultrie 6-10 250 PF UTEP So. —
Impressed scouts in Aukland (U19) as one of the top bigmen in his age group. Lacks
polish, but impressive nonetheless as a long, athletic post prospect.

Chris Singleton 6-8 210 SF Florida St. So.
— Not unlike former Seminole Al Thornton with his hustle and athleticism. Still
has a ways to go skill wise but shows nice potential with his high motor and physical
attributes.

Terrence Jennings 6-10 225 PF Louisville
So. — A top notch athlete who has shown improvement in his range and offensive
skills. Could be primed for a break out season at Louisville.

DeQuan Jones 6-6 195 SG/SF Miami So. — Big
time athlete who has already "Youtubed" a few opponents. Shows a lot
of promose but must round out his offensive skills.

NCAA Sophomore Rankings – Class of 2012