Jimmer Fredette - No doubt the leader of the next generation, Jimmer and his rapping brother TJ have developed a cult following for their accomplishments at BYU. Now the Stormin' Mormon will look to pick up where he left off when he joins the Sacramento Kings. The dynamic of him in the locker room with the likes of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins will surely be among the top storylines of 2012. However, if you want to check out some Kings games this year, make sure to avoid the Sunday ones.
Kevin Love - Love used his third NBA season to prove that he's the best American born white basketball player alive by averaging 20 points per game and leading the league in rebounds. Now with Ricky Rubio running the point and Derrick Williams joining the squad, Minnesota actually has a solid young core to build around, something nobody ever expected from a team run by David Kahn.
Tyler Hansbrough - Psycho T was taken 13th overall a year ago by Larry Bird in order to "make every practice better."After giving a tough 5 game series to the Bulls last spring, he has pretty much shown that he's going to be in the NBA for a long time. Hansbrough mixes the natural talent of Toni Kukoc with the gritty work ethic of Brian Cardinal, which is definitely a solid combination.
Ricky Rubio - Love's new teammate for the T'Wolves, Rubio was initially hesitant to play in Minnesota, but is now making the trip over. After all, who would want to pass on playing for a team that loses 60 games a year in a city that gets about 8 inches of snow a day? Rubio dazzled scouts with his performance in Beijing during the Olympics, drawing comparisons to former Jazz star "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Finally in the NBA, Ricky is out to prove that you can dominate the best of the best despite looking like a star on a Disney Channel sitcom.
Enes Kanter - Joining the prestigious line of goofy Europeans in Utah, Kanter will certainly be a star in Mormon country for many years to come. Hoping to make up for his inability to play last season at Kentucky, he will team up with Mehmet Okur to form the greatest Turkish big man combination in basketball history. Perhaps only more impressive than that is his dream to one day become a pro wrestler.
Gordon Hayward - The real life version of Jimmy Chitwood, Hayward came into the league with huge expectations after leading Butler to a Hoosiers-esque run to the NCAA Finals, and even bigger when he was selected by Utah to replace Kyle Korver. After a slow start to the season, Hayward finished strong averaging 16 points a game in April, including a 34 point performance in a season ending win over Denver.
Jan Vesely - The 21 year old Czech still has a ways to go before he can be as popular as his girlfriend, but he's on the right track. After going sixth overall to Washington, Vesely put a target on his back by calling out Blake Griffin for the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest. You know he will be a star in the league because Jay Bilas complimented his upside, length, high ceiling, AND taste in women during draft night.
Chase Budinger - A former All-American volleyball player who grew up on the beach in San Diego, former Arizona Wildcat Budinger averaged just under 10 points a game for the Rockets the last two seasons. Now projected to be the full time starter, Budinger looks to regain some of the glory that Brian Scalabrine gave to lanky redheads across the country.
