In the one-and-done era, many collegiate stars never make it through four years before they leave school, but the 2016 NBA draft features several seniors who should be selected in the first round.In the 2015 draft, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, Notre Dame's Jerian Grant, Utah's Delon Wright and Wyoming's Larry Nance, Jr. were the only seniors taken in Round 1. The year before, five seniors heard their names called within the first 30 picks.This year's crop should result in a similar number of seniors picked in Round 1, with Oklahoma's Buddy Hield expected to lead the way. Take a look at the projected first round, with seniors being highlighted, along with a brief breakdown of the top senior prospects.Buddy Hield, OklahomaHield could have left early for the NBA after his junior year, but he returned to Oklahoma and was absolutely tremendous. He averaged 25 points per game andwonthe Naismith Award while leading the Sooners to a Final Four appearance.Hield established himself as an elite shooter, hitting 50.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and 45.7 percent of his threes. It is rare to see a player with such high scoring averages be so efficient with his shooting percentages, particularly for a guard.This was on display when Hield ravaged VCU for 36 points to push Oklahoma to the Sweet 16, courtesy of NCAA.com:Watch his ability to break down defenses off penetration to go along with his consistency shooting from the outside. He was unstoppable.Hield is not exceptionally quick or as athletic as other top guards like Providence's Kris Dunn, but he has a natural ability to score. In today's NBA, where spacing and outside shooting is at a premium, expect Hield to go within the first 10 selections.Denzel Valentine, Michigan StateDenzel Valentine will never be the fastest or biggest guy on the court, but he is ruthlessly efficient and a versatile offensive contributor.Valentine led Michigan State in scoring and assists, averaging 19.2 points and7.8 assists per game, and was second in rebounding with 7.5 boards per contest. He also led the Spartans to the No. 2 assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.73.He is a top-notch passer while still making great decisions. Utah Jazz broadcaster David Locke compared his dishing skills to a former top-two draft selection:While being able to fill up the stat sheet, Valentine is quietly a solid shooter. He hit just under 41 percent of his threes during his career, so there is not much this guy cannot do.Valentine may not be a great fit for an uptempo, transition-focused team. Yet, he is phenomenal in the half court, which should not drop him outside of the lottery.Taurean Prince, BaylorHe may be small for a power forward at 6'7", but Taurean Prince makes up for it with brute strength and exceptional athleticism.Prince led Baylor with 15.9 points per game and finished second with 6.1 rebounds. He also routinely made highlight reels with these sorts of plays, courtesy of NCAA.com:Prince is a nightmare to defend in transition and is tough to keep off of the glass. He compares favorably to Denver's Kenneth Faried, another former first-rounder with freakish athletic ability who creates havoc around the rim at both ends of the floor.According to MassLive.com's Jay King, Prince appears likely to go in the middle of the first round:He is not a bad perimeter shooter, but with a field-goal percentage of 43.2 and a three-point percentage of 36.1 last season, Prince is not scaring anybody from the outside at this point. He will be drafted in the first round as an energy guy, but he could certainly develop into a consistent NBA starter down the road.A.J. Hammons, PurdueAt this point, A.J. Hammons is the most polished and NBA-ready big man in this year's draft class.He was a key contributor for four seasons at Purdue and is a 7-footer who makes an impact on both ends of the floor.Last season, Hammons notched 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He was also named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year.What makes him so effective offensively is that he can dominate in the post while still being able to step out and hit outside jumpers. Hammons shot 59.2 percent from the field and hit six of 11 three-point attempts. He also hit 70.9 percent of his free throws.ESPN's Fran Fraschilla (viaESPN'sGianina Thompson)believes Hammons is a fringe lottery talent:A.J. Hammons, there will be good buzz about him as long as his interviews check out and the background stuff checks out, because its hard to find a guy thats seven feet tall that does what he does defensively.Even though hes a four-year player, and we talk about the speed and space game, you still need a number of big guys on your roster, and A.J. I think is a perfect guy in the middle of that first round.Hammons compares favorably to Golden State's Marreese Speights as a big man who can score from anywhere, but the Purdue product is a much better defender. However, Hammons' potential is limited, as there does not appear to be much room for his game to drastically improve.With the NBA valuing potential in the draft, Hammons will likely fall toward the end of the first round. The team that drafts him will add an immediate contributor who should be playing in the league for the next decade.Individual statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.Team statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com.
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