It is becoming crystal clear that this year’s draft isn’t as deep as past drafts. However, every NBA team knows it is about finding that guy that no one is really talking about leading up to draft night. Draymond Green was the 35th pick of 2012 draft, and he is already a top player in the league today. The point here is that it happens every year that a team finds a sleeper that helps them get to that next step. Here are some players people should know going into the 2016 NBA draft night and flying under the radar.

AJ Hammons (7’0, 250 lbs.) – Center/Purdue

I wanted to get this one out of the way because I’m a huge Purdue basketball fan and I’ve watched this kid since he was a freshmen at Purdue. He made the right decision by staying all four years at Purdue. Hammons has all the tools on the offensive end to succeed in the NBA, yet he could be a throwback center as well. He can play with his back to the basket and had one of the best jump hooks in college basketball but can also run the pick and roll and hit a mid range jump shot. He does a good job of using his big body to seal defenders close to the hoop for easy buckets. He finished 87% of his shots at the rim. On the defensive end,  Hammons provides that solid rim protection as a secondary defender, but unlike some of the younger centers in this draft class, he should be able to play right away. So you are probably wondering why he isn’t a top 10 pick. Well the red flags on him are sometimes he isn’t a consistent high motor guy and he missed two exhibition games and the season opener as a sophomore after violating team rules. This past season, he was benched for the first two games for unknown reasons and didn’t move back into the starting lineup until January 7th. Overall, Hammons can play in the NBA and if he is drafted by the right team he could be a good starting center one day.

Kay Felder (5’9, 177 lbs.) Point Guard/Oakland

Felder has modeled his game off of Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker, both guards who are viewed as undersized. Felder finished fourth in the nation in points per game with 24.4. Felder shot 44% from the field and 35.5% from behind the arc. He’s not afraid to take the outside shots and, just like Isaiah Thomas, he finds creative ways to score when getting in the lane. He’s a player that will find ways to score and he benefits from being in a high-tempo offense because Felder is a high volume scorer. The thing with Felder though is he is going to have to earn his minutes in the NBA but he can provide a spark off the bench on any team. In order to do so though he’s going to need to become a more consistent outside shooter. He was an inconsistent shooter during his career at Oakland and won’t see as many shots in the NBA so taking smarter shots is a must. He had an incredible Draft Combine and with his great college highlights he should be a lock as a second round pick. However, it’s never certain as teams like to draft international players they can stash for a couple of years. Either way, Felder should be able to latch onto a team, whether it be in the D-League or on a NBA roster.

 Isaiah Whitehead (6’5, 210 lbs.) Point Guard/Seton Hall

Whitehead was one of the best scorers in all of college basketball last season. His athleticism and unstoppable motor constantly got him opportunities around the basket, where he can finish with the best of them. Left hand or right hand, it does not matter with him. He is going to finish if he’s in the paint. But he’s also a great shooter. Don’t be fooled by a cold shooting night in the NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga (4/24 from the field, 0/10 from 3). He did lead his team to wins over Villanova and Xavier this past college season though. At the point, Whitehead loves to be a physical player,  and in college he enjoyed showing that off. Whitehead is a great passer. In the Gonzaga game where he shot 4-24, he was still able to have 8 assists. He is going to need to learn what it means to take good shots in the NBA and how to be a better passer in certain situations, but if he can figure it out the sky’s the limit.

Taurean Prince (6’7, 201 lbs.) Power Forward/Baylor

Immediately the first thing that jumps out when watching tape on Prince is his combination of size, length and a compact shooting stroke. He was routinely used off of screens at Baylor and he can knock down corner threes at a high percentage maybe can do that at the next level too. Prince showcases great rhythm and a surprisingly quick release on his jump shot. Often times he would unnecessarily extend his range, but I assume there will be less of those opportunities at the next level. Prince will be a catch and shoot sniper, but not an off the dribble creator. On defense, Prince averaged over a steal per game and nearly matched that figure in the blocks category. He is able to use his quick feet and wingspan to his advantage by attacking jump shooters. He is quick enough to guard perimeter players and strong enough to handle power forwards in the post. He looks like he can easily become a great role player in the NBA when given a chance.