Enes Kanter; Turkey: Enes Kanter was the number one center prospect coming out of high school last year. He was ruled ineligible to play college basketball last year because he received benefits while playing in Turkey. He is still the number one center prospect entering the NBA draft. He is a very tough and strong player with all of the skills needed to succeed in the paint. He has the range to make an NBA three pointer as well. He may have enhanced his position in the draft with a string pre-draft session in Chicago. The consensus mock draft has Kanter going third to Utah.
Jonas Valanciunas; Lithuania: This Lithuanian native has emerged as one of the best international prospects in this year's upcoming draft. Valanciunas makes his living in the paint and under the basket as a defensive minded rebounder. He has a soft touch on his shots and can run the floor very well for a man his size. He needs to gain more muscle strength in his upper body to secure himself as a dominant down low presence. Valanciunas is projected to go fifth to Toronto in the consensus mock draft.
Donatas Motiejunas; Lithuania: This Lithuanian phenom has the perfect skills and tools to succeed at the NBA level. Donatas is an aggressive scorer, can finish with both hands and runs the floor very well. He has a high basketball IQ, especially involving the pick and roll, and has the court vision to find the open man. Motiejunas needs to work on his strength by adding muscle to both his upper and lower body, improve his defense and be a more aggressive rebounder. His stock is slipping a bit and is now projected to be picked 13th by Toronto.
Jordan Williams; Maryland: This Maryland Terrapin is the biggest and strongest of this year's top centers entering the NBA draft. At 260 pounds he will be able to hold his own in the paint, especially with his ability to finish with both hands around the rim. He is an extremely good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Williams needs to get in better shape (currently 12 percent body fat) if he wants to be effective in the NBA and he needs to improve his perimeter shooting game. Williams will likely be a late first round pick.
Lucas Nogueira; Brazil: Lucas is a defensive minded center that has the talent and size become a dominant center. He is fantastic at blocking shots in the paint and has a never ending motor. He needs to add strength and width to his body as he is very thin at only 218 pounds. He needs to work on his offensive post moves to be able to contribute on both ends of the floor as well as becoming a more consistent shooter from 15-18 feet. Nogueira is projected to be selected in the late first round or early second round.
Keith Benson; Oakland: Keith Benson is going to be a steal for the lucky team that picks him up at the end of the first round. He is a very skilled athlete with a long arms and the ability to run the floor well. Benson has a solid jumper with range up to 18 feet. He needs more strength to defend the center position in the NBA and he needs to bulk up to compete at the next level. Benson looks like a mid-to-late first round selection.
Others With Draft Potential: Nikola Vucevic; USC, Jeremy Tyler; Tokyo Apache, Michael Dunigan; Hapoel Jerusalem, Rick Jackson; Syracuse, Josh Harrelson; Kentucky, Greg Smith; Fresno State
This article was written by Correspondent Evan Howard and Carl Berman of NetScouts Basketball. Carl and NetScouts Basketball can be followed on twitter @carlberman and @netscouts.