NCAA Eye for the NBA Guy: South Regional, Day 2

As March Madness 2010 begins, FanHouse's NBA team looks at the top prospects in each regional.

The South regional won't be bursting with NBA prospects on Friday, but the ones which will play have a lot of gain (or lose) in this tournament. Big programs like Duke, Louisville, Cal and Purdue are in action, as well as Texas A&M, Utah State, Siena and, um, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. We have eight prospects to keep an eye on.

Samardo Samuels, PF, Louisville
21 years old, 6'8, 240 lbs., Sophomore
One of the most skilled big men in the nation, Samuels is a load upfront for Rick Pitino's Cardinals. He operates extremely well on the block, where he uses great footwork and a soft touch to his advantage. The sophomore is well on his way to earning an NBA paycheck. -- Jordan Schultz

Kyle Singler, SF, Duke
21 years old, 6'8, 210 lbs., Junior
How does a Blue Devil get underrated? It seems as though Duke's famous struggles to place NBA perimeter players has rubbed off a bit on Singler, the sinewy but strong swingman who has led Duke to a No. 1 seed. Singler can shoot, but there are question marks about the rest of his game. Big shooters will always have a place in the NBA, though, and should Singler declare for early entry he'll get plenty of first-round looks. -- T.Z.

Edwin Ubiles, SF, Siena
23 years old, 6'6, 200 lbs., Senior
Ubiles is not the typical MAAC athlete we see. The Siena small forward is a dexterous 6'9 who operates very well attacking the basket and using his superior length to finish above defenders. Although his consistency needs work, the raw ability is there. Ubiles is a rangy player who loves to get up and down the floor and excels in transition, where he fully maximizes his athleticism. He needs to put on weight to become a better post player, but his perimeter skills are excellent. It would have been a terrific match-up had he faced Robbie Hummel, and without him, Purdue will struggle containing him. -- J.S.

And Five More ...

Patrick Christopher, SG, Cal -- It's become clear over the past two seasons that Christopher doesn't figure to be a featured scorer in either the NBA or the top levels of Europe. But he's still an effective, efficient two-guard worthy of at least a chance, potentially in the second round. Christopher needs to continue to work on his range and show NBA-level defense to stick. -- T.Z.

Nolan Smith, PG, Duke -- One of elite Duke's starry troika, Smith has an uphill battle when it comes to the NBA, but is such a good shooter and solid all-around player that he has a fair chance. The junior will almost assuredly spend one more year in Durham. But you might as well watch him in college while you can. It's not like Duke is on national T.V. every weekend. -- T.Z.

JaJuan Johnson, PF, Purdue -- Purdue's long pivot is a face-up four, a type in vogue in the NBA. But Johnson's rebounding, while improved this season, is an issue, and he's not nearly as tough as most PF prospects. A big tournament run could allay these concerns enough to make him a first-rounder, though. You need good reason to pass up on decent 6'10 players. -- T.Z.

Donald Sloan, SG, Texas A&M -- Sloan is a strongly built kid who loves the mid-range game and just knows how to score. He is the engine for this Aggie team, and for Utah State to have any shot at the upset, limiting Sloan is priority number one. -- J.S.

Jerome Randle, PG, Cal -- The 5'10 jolt is the heartbeat of this Bears team, the first to win a regular season Pac 10 title in 50 years. The Pac 10 P.O.Y. is very dangerous from the outside, where he uses superior quickness to create space and bomb from well beyond the arc. His battle with Louisville point guard Edgar Sosa makes this 8-9 match-up one of the most intriguing of the entire first round. -- J.S.