Top Five 2012 NBA Draft Picks

By TJ Souhlaris

Davis Kidd-Gilchrist

Beal Waiters RobinsonAnthony Michael Bradley Dion Thomas

1. Anthony Davis New Orleans Hornets

Davis is a 6’10” 220 lb. center from the University of Kentucky. He entered the draft after his freshman year. He averaged 14.2 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game and 4.7 blocks per game. Davis also played in the 2012 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal for Team USA.

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Charlotte Bobcats

Kidd-Gilchrist is a 6’7” 232 lb. small forward also from the University of Kentucky. He entered the draft after his freshman year. He averaged 12 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and a steal and block per game. He was named the East Region’s Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament for the 2012 champion Wildcats.

3. Bradley BealWashington Wizards

Bradley Beal is a 6’3” 207 lb. shooting guard from the University of Florida. He entered the draft after his freshman year. He averaged 14.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, and shot 34 percent from the three-point line. Beal was named to the first-team All-SEC team alongside Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist.

4. Dion WaitersCleveland Cavaliers

Dion Waiters is a 6’4” 215 lb. shooting guard from Syracuse University. He entered the draft after his sophomore year. Waiters averaged 12.6 points per game, 2.5 assists per game, and shot 48 percent from the floor. He was named an Honorable Mention All-American in 2012.

5. Thomas RobinsonSacramento Kings

Thomas Robinson is a 6’10” 237 lb. power forward from the University of Kansas. He entered the draft after his senior year. He averaged 17.7 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game, and led the nation in double-doubles (scoring 10+ points and getting 10+ rebounds in the same game.) He was a 2012 consensus All-American.

Credits Davis 1—University of Kentucky Athletics (ukathletics.com)

Davis 2—photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61932740@N03/5636658646/">BasketballElite</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Kidd-Gilchrist 1 & 2—University of Kentucky Athletics (ukathletics.com)

Beal 1 & 2—University of Florida Athletics (Gatorzone.com)

Credits (Cont’d) Waiters 1—Syracuse University Athletics (suathletics.com)

Waiters 2—photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33883772@N07/6718595719/">barberbonanza</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Robinson 1—University of Kansas Athletics (kuathletics.com)

Robinson 2—photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reidspice/7810291628/">reidspice</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>